Sheathed Arrows
by Primordial Inscriptor Z-09
Summary: Counter Guardian EMIYA is once again called to the Holy Grail War, but this time with a unique catalyst and an abnormal timing. Will he take this chance to finally be free, or will he take this chance to live out the life he missed out on? How will this shape the future? Alter!Arturia. Original Idea by: konamikode from Sufficient Velocity.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

 **A/N: So I got this idea from a now-dead forums thread I cannot remember from. Hopefully, I can find it and give the original source of this idea the credit it deserves for such a fantastic idea. Again, I say that this idea is not mine, I have simply expanded upon it from the copy of the story stored in my computer, so a lot of these words are not mine. The next chapter, however, will.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own F/SN, wish I did, though.**

 **Edit: I have placed line breaks to make shifting of POV easier.**

Giant metal cogs kilometers in radius hung in the perpetually twilight rusted sky, blades of all shapes and purpose thrust straight into the blood-soaked deserts. It was here a tall man dressed in red awaits his next task, listlessly defending himself from his own failure.

Memories unbidden from countless millennia of experience began to flood in despite his best efforts. To once again become a simple tool powered by the manifestation of the human will to purge any and all threats to humanity.

 _He knocked his arrow to his bow, drawing back even as his target came into view. A normal situation would have prevented such an archaic weapon from even nicking the bullet-proof armor this man wore. However, these were from a future that no longer existed. The arrow didn't even recognize the barrier it was up against and passed through it completely._

To helplessly slaughter everyone, even the innocent, to save the greater whole.

 _A sweet little girl looked up at him in utter confusion and horror, her entire family having fallen to protect her from the lone swordsman now standing in front of her. She could not move, so confused as to why the kind older brother figure she had spent the last week admiring and crushing from a short distance was now soaked in the blood of her family. Tears streaked down her face as the man impassively sent her head flying with an effortless stroke._

Alone on his hill of swords, the tragic hero stands unyieldingly. There was nothing to be done here except to carry on with the tasks given to him by Alaya-

A twitch in the fabric of reality, it pulled on his essence like a child asking for a treat with empty promises of completed chores in the future.

"..." He had no words as he realized what the familiar sensation was.

 _Hmm? A summons?_

"…" It tugged on him, adding more promises and mellowed words, along with a beautiful cup.

 _Ah. Another Grail War._

He mentally sighed, thinking about that particular aspect of his life. A bitter pill to swallow.

 _I've fulfilled my dream in life, I have no need for the Holy Grail._

 _All I want to do is end my existence._

 _That cursed relic cannot grant my wish._

 _So why do you call me still?_

 _I must have been summoned countless times through countless wars. Surely I must have succeeded somewhere?_

 _So why would I even bother answering once more-_

"Please…"

…

Damn it.

Countless eons could have passed during his timeless existence in the Throne of Heroes, but that voice…

Even if he had been thrown into the depths of hell for an eternity of torment, he would never forget that distinctive pitch.

Nor would he be able to ignore that plea for aid, not when he finally had a choice to give meaning to this broken existence.

He was Counter Guardian EMIYA… but at the core?

He was still the boy who dreamed to become a Hero of Justice.

There was no way he would be able to refuse something that nuzzled what remained of his rusted and broken core.

"... Heh." With a shimmer, he complied and his soul was willingly sent hurtling through the fabric of his resting place and into the fires of the Holy Grail War once more.

He wondered…

What would happen this time?

As he was hurtled through various Parallel worlds and insane dimensions, he felt himself being split, a familiar feeling of his soul being copied and poured into a Class, while the original was sent back. He had a keepsake he kept during life, the urge burned strong for him not to forget this, like his only light in a hellhole where that light was all but a delusion.

What was it? What calls out to him wasn't a normal catalyst. It was far more pure, like cold spring waters from a planet of nothing but frozen waters. It resonated with him to a frightening degree.

It was him. His Soul… was this his chance?

To end it all?

* * *

… How can one save themselves from the vagaries of Fate?

… Should one even attempt to do so?

He could never forget this moment of his life, for all around him, Fuyuki burned. It's inhabitants chased down and burned by cursed flames that sought only death to all humanity.

The day Shirou was born.

But… why was he here? By now the Grail should have already been in unrecoverable pieces, how was he even existing without a substantial source of Prana?

It was then he heard the hard labor for a small breath in the distance…

He rushed forward towards the noise, not even caring of the way he broke his aloof personality at that moment, the cold shell that protected his heart. If he could save even one person from this nightmare here, then everything… everything would have been worth-

 _...No…_

 _Damn it why!?_

He fell to his knees and loomed despairingly over… himself. The fire leaving a scorched but quickly cooling area around the boy as if he was lower than dirt and not worth burning.

Wait… where… where was Kiritsugu? Where was his father, had he not saved him yet?

No, that didn't matter, he could end this now! Just a single sweep with a simple blade, he could end all of this-

"...D...ad?" His younger self suddenly wheezes through seared airways. Eyes empty of anything but that spark of reflexive inquisition. His tracing came to an abrupt halt and a tsunami of memories and emotions jammed his usually cold logic.

 _You…_

… _Damn it._

* * *

She gasped and coughed into the burning furnace air of the hellish night.

Her wish was right before her. Her only unfulfilled desire left in life glowing beautifully before her, ready to save her people from the fate she was cursed to lead them too…

All she had to do was grasp it with her own two hands and make the wish.

And then that man… ordered her to destroy the Grail.

...

With a final, agonizing cry of shattered hopes and dreams, Excalibur screamed from her hands in a wave of purifying light and smashed her final hope into unrecoverable fragments.

The scream of utter anguish and hopelessness she let out as she was forced to destroy her own salvation could never do justice the true extent of her feelings at that moment.

So insensate with grief was she that she never saw the blackened mud spill forth from the golden chalice she once called a friend and converge upon her in a wave of corruption.

When she was finally able to claw her way out of the foul liquid, she was forever changed.

She felt…stained… yet at the same time, refreshed.

Gone were her ideals of wishing to protect her weak kingdom and its peoples.

Gone was her desire to have never had pulled the sword from the stone.

Gone were her wishes of a woman who should have died centuries ago.

All that was left in her place was a changed woman in a tainted shell.

…

No, she wasn't so different now.

She had just realized what futility it was to have strived so meaninglessly for an ultimately worthless goal. She had been freed.

She clenched her hand in rage at the pointlessness of it all. She could actually feel her heart beating with anger, the pulse pounding in her veins, the unbearable heat-

 _What had happened? Why was everything on fire?_

She took a momentary sweep of the area.

 _Meaningless._

She took a deep breath, her first real breath of air since her foolish own daughter had stolen her last one. It was nice, as foul as it currently was since she made her pact with the world.

She would no longer wait in that blood field for the next call. She was alive right now, in this time and place. She was no longer Arthur Pendragon, the king who fell with her country and was at the mercy of the world.

She was also naked.

It was… acceptable.

She noticed movement close by from the corner of her eyes. With the curiosity of a bored lion, she slowly pulled herself from the rest of the mud clinging to her hands and lower limbs with deep sucking noises. She didn't hold back her snort of contempt when she saw the body of her former master trying to crawl towards another figure in the distance with what was left of his incinerated legs and charred, remaining arm.

"Save… one… please… I have to… just one…" She smiled sinisterly before crouching in front of him and gaze deep into his nearly unseeing eyes, clearly his ideals driving forward despite his bleeding out state.

"Saber…?" He continues to try and struggle past her impromptu blockade with his pathetic attempts at imitating the far faster garden snail insulting the creature.

"You have something of mine, _Master_. I want it back" She said in acidic amusement, she reached out to rip away Avalon from Kiritsugu with a cruel smirk-

Avalon refuses to materialize for her.

 _What? Why!?_

"No… n-not… not yet!" He whispers as if recognizing the dashing act of hope it was even in such a deranged state. .

She continued to kneel there, shocked.

Kiritsugu continues his single-minded struggle. The assassin leaving a trail blood, entrails, and corrupted flesh towards the figure in the far distance. But she paid little heed.

… Why wouldn't Avalon answer her call?

Unbothered by the flames, her nude form stayed staring still, the trail of blood Kiritsugu left behind for an untold amount of time.

A flash of gold in the Magus Killer's general direction struck her from her reverie.

Avalon?

She stood, and walked, following the trail of drying fluid and towards the holy spark of power a mere minute away.

A burning sensation engraved itself in her palm.

* * *

Damn it all!

He couldn't let him die. Not when he could finally save someone!

But how could he save him? There was nothing in his vast arsenal of killer weapons meant to save, at least not on the verge of death state he was in. Ironic, he mused sardonically.

It had been literal ages since he had needed to trace Avalon. Even if he could, the scabbard was just a gaudy bauble without the wielder.

The best he could do was pray that he could get him to a hospital before his alternate self could expire, and even then, that was a hopeless endeavor.

Why he was even brought here, to be taunted by Alaya? He was well aware of her disposition to use him a source of amusement, something he knew the other Counter Guardians was grateful to not have the honor of receiving.

Why to be summoned here if the war was already over and there was nothing that could be done-

The desperate dragging noise behind him captures his attention, he turns.

"Just… one…" The voice was raspy, but the pitch was unmistakable.

 _Father? Hell, it's about time-_

He stood there uncomprehending, simply gazing dumbly at his father's half mutilated and burned body. He looked so weak, scared and vulnerable.

 _How was he still alive?_

He seems to completely ignore the Counter Guardian's presence, dragging himself towards the younger insensate child.

"T-thank God… y-you're alive!" With a final, desperate strength, he pulls Avalon out from himself and pushes it forward, the tip barely able to reach boy's chest from where he laid side by side next to him.

"N-no… please!" His father's weakened hand falls-

And he was there to grasp it.

The curse that burned in his palm and throughout his body has no effect on a… fake hero such as himself. He wouldn't be surprised if the mud took a liking to him for all the sins he had committed in his existence.

"Who… no… save, must save…!" The fake Hero guided the single limbed half-torso above the child's chest and let him push Avalon in. The man calmed down once he realized their intentions aligned.

"Live... you must live-" Emiya Kiritsugu dies in peace, his single remaining arm goes limp in the fake's hands with a satisfied smile on his face.

Why were his eyes burning?

He knelt there, holding the corpse of his adoptive father, and listening to the slowly steadying breathing of his younger self as the cooling rains began to fall.

He remembered this.

This was the moment that everything changed.

This was when he had wished to smile like-

"Who are you, Servant?" That voice … Saber?

Shocked, he glanced to the source, the forever unmarred beauty of his former Servant in a long forgotten past kneeling on the other side of his younger body with a curious tilt of her head betraying the emotions hidden in her apathetic, yellow eyes.

… _Arturia?_

 _What?_

 _What happened to you?_

"Who are you Servant? Why are you here?" The NOT Arturia keeps her head tilted to the side as she says this, somehow managing to make the dead serious demand, quite adorable.

She seemed unconcerned if her current state of dress indicated anything. Just... curious?

He chuckled bitterly. What was the harm? He'd be gone in a day at most anyway without a source of Prana.

"... I'm him." He pointed at the child lying in the rain. Arturia Alter blinks.

"Oh? My, that is interesting. It looks like I'll be keeping you around after all… Servant."

Saber flashes a slender hand with crimson tattoos at you. A coy smile spreading her delicate lips.

Command seals.

 _... Well, that's just-_

The boy coughs, turning both their attentions on him.

The nameless boy washed clean of his previous existence, opened his eyes and saw something that would forge who he was from then on.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 **A/N: Wow, I was incredibly surprised at the tidal wave of reviews I received for the mere 2.4 k words of the first chapter. I honestly thought many people would simply browse over such a small existence, at least until it hit 10k words. This really fuels my passion for this story into a more long-term writing plan than some random dead end stories I've gone and done. Expect longer chapters to make up for that tiny first one!**

 **Anyways, were here in the second chapter, this time with like breaks!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own F/SN, wish I did, though.**

"Doctor, will he be alright?"

Calm yellow eyes filled his vision, the woman was apathy personified. It was strangely calming, and it dethatched him from the strange pain in his heart and foulness of the air when he tried to imitate it. It was nice to feel calm.

"There is no need to worry …ah, apologies for my rudeness for the lack of introduction"

All the pain he felt, all his discomfort and anything associated with it was consumed. He imagined a raging furnace surrounded by endless snow, powered by everything he threw into it as fuel. His anger, his pain, his happiness, his discomfort, his pleasures. It all left his calm as they were melted down in the furnace of his mind.

"Please refer to me as Emiya"

Everything he threw in was melted into raw slag, it cooled his mind. He could take in far more information and judged it from a logical and emotional point of view, neither cloud the other.

"Emiya-san, there is nothing to say. The boy seemed to have survived the ordeal almost entirely unscathed. It is nothing less than a miracle when you found him at ground zero of the disaster site! In fact, the boy should be waking up very soon if this heart rate machine is right"

* * *

EMIYA gazed upon the vulnerable figure of his younger self, Arturia seated at his side on the coziest chair in the building, her amazing Charisma stats allowing everyone in the building to instinctively recognize that they needed to treat her like royalty, or die to try.

Damn himself for his lousy Luck stat for his haphazard stats!

The former King of Briton sat contemplatively on the chair, her posture proper and coiled like a spring ready to launch. Her delicate hands lay folded on the bedside, as the boy began to stir. Just as the doctor assumed he would.

Perhaps she wasn't as uncaring as she made him think?

"I have questions" The boy stated calmly, his obvious statement betraying the stoutness of his state of mind. He looked upon Arturia first but immediately glanced down. He turned to the only other male in the room.

The kid was smart, with better instincts and control than he ever had.

Arturia had a pleased aura about her as if she had proven something. Minor.

"Who am I?"

"I haven't the slightest clue, there was no one else around you when we found you, nor any form of identification" He didn't beat around the bush here, if the boy did not remember, then it would be much simpler to give him a run-down of the events. He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorway, taking a peek at the mirror before frowning at the sight.

"What happened?"

"A fire, you were at ground zero when it happened. It consumed everyone and everything in a two-kilometer radius, badly damaging anything for a further hundred meters from that epicenter" He scowled at the mirror, disliking the fact that he looked in his mid-twenties rather than the mid-thirties he usually did. A time when he still fought to become a Hero of Justice. A well-built young man with bronze skin, steel eyes and ashen hair stared back. "We took you here for emergency treatment"

"Who was that man… he looked really happy for some reason"

"His name was Kiritsugu Emiya…" He paused, gazing into the boy to see if there was any of that false ideal in him. He let out a small relieved smile when all that showed was a spark of curiosity. "He was my Old man… and late head of the Emiya line"

"Emiya-san is dead? I wanted to thank him… I feel like I would not have survived without him…"

"I will have a memorial built once we get home, you may give your thanks there" Arturia suddenly said. She was dressed in a high-class gothic dress that shows a little skin but suited her amazingly well. Every statement she said seemed like it was a fact rather than a promise.

He was dressed in black jeans and a turtleneck, so nothing but his odd coloration drew attention. He would need to scout-

… _We get home…_

That fragment kept looping in his mind. What was he to think? She already had a place in mind to stay at?

 _...home, huh…wait a minute, does she mean to-_

* * *

Arturia looked at the boy recovering in bed, somewhat please that her judgment of the boy was correct. He had even averted his gaze from her upon seeing her own stature compared to his own. He was pliable and had very keen senses, perfect in what she desired for a… son.

Yes, she wanted a son, was that so bad?

Now she had a human body, a chance to enjoy it to the fullest. To sate her virgin body with right romps and enjoy the days 'raising' her son! It would be perfect!

"Now I have decided. You shall henceforth be Shirou Pendragon Emiya! Since you have no memories, you are to be a blank slate. Your father and I will raise you. We will adopt you"

It wasn't a series of questions, but rather stated facts. She saw her faithful 'husband' gaping at her for a brief moment before he called in the local doctors to get the adoption papers ready. Such a reliable Servant he was, maybe a little reward for showing his aptitude?

Despite these thoughts, her features were as calm and undisturbed lake, her eyes like jewels.

Moments later, an official-looking man in a suit came in with a document. She did not bother looking at him, and neither did her soon-to-be son.

"Pendragon-san, I understand that you wish to adopt this child?"

"I will adopt him, his name is Shirou Pendragon Emiya"

"I see. Child, do you agree to this adoption and name?" The man produced a blank birth certificate and took a pen to neatly inscribe a date on it and the name Shirou Pendragon Emiya.

"I do."

"Then Pendragon-san, Emiya-san I would like one of you to sign this to represent legal guardianship for Shirou here"

* * *

Why just one of us?" EMIYA asked, probably saving the man from the frosty glare he would have withered under. "WE will be adopting him, as in the both of us."

"Emiya-san, I cannot do so. For there are no records of a marriage between the two of you, I cannot possibly give you a form that does not exist!"

EMIYA sighed, flaring some of his prana to power a mild hypnosis. "Then find someone who can and will do so"

The man obtained a glazed expression, before moving to obey the suggestion. He took out another form that had two signatures on it this time. "If you will both sign here, I will certainly make an arrangement! It is not all that hard for some protocols to go in reverse, nor would it be so troublesome to do so"

Arturia demonstrated her mighty penmanship, her signature seemed to have outclassed the paper by such a degree in might have been a work of art by itself. His own simple signature seemed little more that intelligible chicken scratches. A contrast he was sure someone was laughing at this very moment.

"You have my number Emiya-san, do not hesitate to call me the date you desire your wedding to be on! Have a nice day" With a bow, the businessman walked out the door, leaving the three together once again.

"Now then Master, should we head home?" His simple question sent a tingle down his own spine. Why on earth did he feel that? Certainly it wasn't because Herakles was going to step on him…

… _and it looked like the woman was smirking too, just what did she have in mind?_

"We are a joyfully wed couple. Joined in supposed holy matrimony, does it not seem inappropriate to address your new bride is such a fashion, Servant?" Her tone had taken an acidic sweet swing that would have probably poisoned any other more righteous Heroic spirit. Luckily, he was not one of those idiots. "Let us call each other whatever we wish to behind closed doors. For now, I, your beloved Wife, demand that the caring Husband finds a way to get the entire…family home"

Her eyes were closed and her voice was even, but the sheer _intensity_ of her presence made him want to immediately kneel down and receive the order.

It was a good thing he had practice resisting it through countless assassinations of such highly charismatic people. Alaya had provided him that at the very least.

"Indeed, I will call a cab, do you have a place in mind… dearest?" EMIYA almost choked out the words, though it was more with the fact that his lifelong dream of spending eternity with Arturia had more or less come true… in a rather twisted way. He somehow managed to keep calm under the shock, facing away from her and began dialing from a phone… that he had pilfered from one of the recently deceased.

He would have to dispose of it later.

* * *

The drive to their new home was quite lacking. In fact, the Servant thought he saw the poor cab driver stiffen up as soon as Arturia entered the vehicle. All he could do was drop off a few more yen as a tip for the communal worker when they finally reached home.

"This is…"

Imagine his surprise when he arrived in front of a very familiar pair of massive wooden gates.

"This is our home. It once belonged to that _man_ " The amount of venom she placed on that last word could have used as a noble phantasm on the spot. The boy, newly christened, Shirou Pendragon Emiya, hopped off the cab and stared impassively at the front gates. "But I'm sure he won't be needing it"

EMIYA, unsure as to how things worked, decided to do something he thought he beat out of himself.

He decided to wing it. It wasn't like he was a fragile human throwing himself on the incarnation of a force of nature trying to protect something far sturdier than he was, right?

Not anymore anyways.

"Please, come in" Tracing the keys for the gates from memory alone, he took a moment to savor the single upraised eyebrow on Arturia's face, before turning the lock open and opening the gates to their new home.

 _Ah yes, home sweet home._

* * *

Several months passed by since moving into their new home, and in that time, many things happened.

The elder Emiya decided to strengthen the home manually with old fashioned woodwork. He then went to place dozens of boundary fields that drew upon the local spirits toward the home to mollify any hostile intent and detect it. Since it didn't change much other than drawing the spirits that usually did that same task, Gaia would hardly notice it. Hence, the cost of sustaining it was almost null. It was only thanks to the Rin in his timeline that he know such theory.

Arturia intensely declared that no heir she adopted would be weak, and began drilling the younger Emiya in physical regiments the elder Emiya knew -from personal experience in his missions through medieval Europe- were far above the standard regimens given to even the most elite of knights. This, combined with the consideration that humans in the past were far higher in quality than modern humans like him and Shirou made the training utterly inhumane by modern standards.

Arturia thoroughly dissected her Servant of any information regarding his own timeline and the fates of several people down three differing paths in the war. Mainly, the Einzbern, the Matou and the Toshaka, the three founding families all but guaranteed to participate in the next war… a decade from the Fuyuki Fire.

Rin Toshaka, the very last of her bloodline carrying the blood of the War's founder. She strives to be the very best as the burden of her entire family rested on her shoulders.

Sakura Matou, an equally talented woman and former Toshaka. Sold to the Matou head for power, she was then constantly 'trained' by 'grandfather' to be a second Grail and successor.

Illyasviel Von Einzbern, a lost child whose innocent yearning for her parents was twisted into hatred by the Einzbern head's venomous words. Fated never to live after the war for long or not at all, her hatred was all that drove her once innocent heart into beating.

There were others, but Arturia lost focus upon hearing Illya's near unchangeable fate. He told her whatever he knew, every scrap of information and suspicion he could. He knew that despite her cool exterior, there lied a heart just as broken as his own at the thought of Illya's sad tale…

Together- by Arturia's 'insistence'- they plotted deeply into the upcoming Fifth Holy Grail War

* * *

"Mother, I have completed Drill number 98!" Arturia was currently seated on the porch, enjoying full moon with her Servant… a groaning pile of bruised mystical flesh under her after a little spar, when a small voice made itself known as it panted, its owner neared from the other side of the room his parents were. The boy's footsteps kept getting closer and closer until he reached the sliding doors that parted the outside from the inside. There was a tussling sound and a single dull thump, Arturia was pleased to see her adopted son prostrating in a perfectly respectful manner.

"I expected no less. Now go clean yourself up, your father will take over your drills tomorrow." Arturia prodded the Elder Emiya's groaning body with her foot, perpetually dressed in a gothic dress.

 _As merciless now as you ever were, Arturia_

"It seems I need to polish up my own swordsmanship, Master" EMIYA stated as soon as the younger version of him was busy in the bathtub. He pushed himself off the ground and straightened out the white sparring gi he'd donned earlier, now covered in dirt and splotches of blood. Walking over, he took a seat and attempted to lace his arms around her waist, only to receive a lethal strike to his jugular… if he were human he would've been dead.

"I did not give you permission to touch me, Servant! How will you repent?" It was her usual tone, and the elder Emiya gave his standard response. They'd gone through it enough time already over their 'marriage'. It still felt surreal to him, though.

"Business is booming this week, Arturia dear, we'll be feasting all week long" He gave her a sly wink, and the stoic woman paused to weigh her options, before closing her eyes in acceptance. If there was any pride left in the empty hero, it was about his cooking skills.

"See that you do not disappoint me as usual, _dearest_." With that cutting remark, she gathered herself and took her leave, leaving behind a silently fuming Servant behind. Moments later, the sliding door closed, leaving the elder Emiya alone and calm, his features schooled as if he never got frustrated in the first place. He turned his steel gray eyes to the moon.

 _I hope these peaceful days…_

"…last a bit longer"

Maybe it was time to sleep, he was getting too nostalgic here.

* * *

 _Cherry blossoms fell from the tree yards, and a happy family of three walked through it with naught a care in the world. They wore ornate kimonos and were surrounded by fearsome samurai guards with demon masks and watchful eyes, trained to be the best against any would-be assassins. The man, an Emperor, the woman his beloved wife, and the child, his innocent daughter._

' _ **Hey EMIYA, listen to your next mission…'**_

 _He stood there in the center of the courtyard, a humble kimono of his own that ensured he could no conceal any weapons. Cherry blossoms fell in full force for a brief moment before dissipation, momentarily blocking the family from view._

" _Shi nii-chan!"_

 _She caught sight of him, her smile brightened and nearly blinded the courtyard, but mainly him. How could she be so radiant upon seeing him? He wasn't worthy of having such a trusted tittle…_

" _Hello there Mizi-chan" He knelt down and ruffled her hair. She enjoyed the affectionate gesture and attempted to hug him back, he gently poked her forehead to deter such an action, making her rub the afflicted area and pout cutely. Her parents released a bated breath and the shadowy guards relaxed upon seeing the declination._

 _It would not be proper, nor safe for the princess to hug a foreign stranger after all. Despite his oriental features, his stature towered over many of the men in the palace, his bronze tanned skin, ashen hair, and steel eyes stuck out like a sore thumb. The presence he emitted alone was enough to make one of the corrupted Eunuchs publicly soil themselves at his glare when they tried to bribe him._

" _I humbly greet you, Tenno-dono" He bowed low and respectfully exposing his neck for a significant amount of time. "And to you as well Kimisawa-dono."_

" _You may rise, Emiya-san" At her permission, he did so. The Emperor strode forward and clasped his shoulder, he addressed his family before the other man. "Hatase, Mizi-chan, why don't the two of you have a walk? Let's take a walk shall we, as men"_

"… _ **I need you to befriend the entire family…"**_

 _The pair walked deep into the trees, the man taking a deep breath of the orchard of Sakura trees in the garden. Silence is not even broken by the silent trailing of the shadowed guardian that protected the emperor._

" _Emiya-kun, just how did you come to know my daughter well enough to have her give you a pet name for each other?"_

" _Tenno-dono, If I may point out, my features do not exactly blend in" He glanced upwards, hand clasped behind "Your daughter found me, and all but demanded I be her playmate"_

" _It does sound like her to pick up such exotic things" The emperor let out a weary laugh. "Then? I do hope there is more to this story that that"_

" _Indeed, you see if it were not for your daughter's innocence and my novel appearance, I would have starved. Indeed, it would not be wrong to say her attachment to me came after the soba I prepared for her several hours later as thanks went down her tummy…"_

 _The conversation became blurred, but one last comment chilled the heartwarming scene._

… _ **. Then you will … the target… or…consequences!"**_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

 **A/N: Okay, I got a PM from multiple people that actually knew the awesome progenitor of this idea and the guy himself! It totally made my day, so I'm making this chapter longer as a sort of tribute.**

 **Original Idea by konamikode from Sufficient Velocity.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fate S/N.**

The early morning sun rose, but its rays could not pierce the blinds that veiled the windows to this particular room. Such a minor thing as sunlight could not possibly have the capability to rouse a being as grand as the King of Briton, herself.

In any case, she was already wide awake.

Arturia let out a quiet breath of satisfaction as she tested the waters by dipping into the eastern style bath tub. The water was comfortably warm, not lukewarm or scalding hot. The scented herbs mixed into the water made the aroma all that more relaxing and inviting to dip in. All in all, it was an extremely normal bath time.

It also had a price tag in the thousands per use, but hey, who was keeping count? Anything for the king, right?

The incarnated spirit made her way to the tub, tossing away the silk towel that briefly preserved her modesty moments before. It floated to the basket of used garments neatly, even if said garments had only seen use once and for brief periods of time. She paid no more heed to the tool that served its purpose and dipped into the pool, one slender limb at a time. The entire process would have easily tantalized even morally strong men, with her slender figure and alluring aura.

It would have, if not for the sheer amount of DANGER she radiated, like the sun emitting heat after the light.

'Shink'

'Clink'

Of course, it could also have been the monstrosity of a familiar standing guard in the bathroom door.

The creature has strange in that it had semi-sentience and limited form of thought, but it was mostly instinctual. Its body was modelled as a knight's full body armour… if it's every surface could grind, slice and puncture any material softer than a diamond that made contact with it. The slight movements it made caused the surfaces to grate against each other like a miniature field of war taking part in the conflict. The miniature rancour of clashing steel would certainly be quite annoying to have around when it moved.

But to a King who suffered in an eternal war that ravaged her dearest kingdom so thoroughly… it was nothing more than a sweet reminder. She was no longer that woman. She would move on with her new life, live to the fullest and in carnal vigour, enjoy this new life without an ounce of hesitation.

What had she been thinking? Saving Briton? Changing the king to a different one with a wish from the Grail before selling her soul for all eternity?

What a fool she'd been.

As Arturia lounged in the tub, washing clean and pondering what she would indulge in today, an enticing scent quickly put stop to that.

She didn't necessarily smile, nor did she rush to get dressed. She didn't exactly leap from the tub, nor used prana to immediately get dressed. Nothing that would tip off anything other than the fact that the King had simply needed a full stomach in the morning for the day ahead.

"Oh morning, sweet cheeks! How was the bath?" Arturia could see the table well prepared, with plates, utensils, and cloth placed neatly and without a slight deviation even to her eyes. She pulled her gaze away from the table of four plates –an additional one, she noted- and to her beloved 'husband'. He was by the stove, well dressed as he slaved away on preparing something good if his smirk was any indication.

To the side, she could see her adopted son preparing ingredients within easy reach of his father. He expertly cut away at tough vegetables and easily sliced fleshy stumps of meat with a skill that rivalled even professional butchers. All the while transfixed on his father's cooking methods. He too wore a miniature version of his father's attire, it seemed fitting really… since they were the same person.

"It passed my expectation" She waved him off and took her seat, the end of the table. From the corner of her eyes, she could see the astralized outline of her familiar standing guard just in the next room. Its creator giving no indication of its presence as he single-mindedly pushed to create the perfect meal of the day.

A regular morning for Arturia, really.

Unseen to any sentient creature at that moment, her left hand was placed over her right under the table, clenched and twitching madly.

"Shirou, could you place the side dishes? I will do the rest, no doubt your mother is ravenous at the moment!" The elder Emiya freely poked fun at her appetite and she ignored it. Her son, however, showed proper respect as he quietly distributed the rice to the four bowls and the remaining amount to the side for free helpings.

He'd learned the hard way that doing so simply earned him triple the intensity for his regiment his mother originally assigned to him, for an entire week. Needless to say, not another word was said on her vices from that boy ever again.

It wasn't that she could not punish the elder Emiya, she could, but it would have made no difference whatsoever.

Not if these dream cycles she was having told her the lengths of which her Servant had been broken.

Interesting…

Maybe things would play out in an amusing way for her entertainment.

* * *

It was just after breakfast and the elder Emiya watched in satisfaction as his younger self patted his stuffed belly in discrete movements, in a cute attempt to copy Arturia's stone exterior. His Master in the other hand hadn't so much as quirked an eyebrow throughout the entire meal as she practically inhaled three-quarter of the meal within several minutes. Bothe he and the younger one were already full with what they had and EMIYA wondered just where Arturia managed to pack all the excess calories absorbed.

"I'll handle the dishes, you get ready for school, Shirou" It was odd calling his own name in the third person, when not in the usual kill or be killed situations he set up for the paradox escape plan. It was quite odd seeing this apathetic looking version of himself that kept his emotions inside and not on his sleeve like his many other incarnations. However, it pleased him greatly as this was already a major change in a timeline that would have eventually lead him down a doomed fate. With this, there was already a chance of salvation.

He would be strong enough to do anything, therefore disposing of the need to make a contract with the world in the first place. With both he and Arturia taking command of his younger self's training regimen, there was almost no way things would play out the same way!

He looked at the fourth set of dishes, untouched. A pang of nostalgia, he habitually made an extra due to Fujimura casually barging in to have some breakfast.

Apparently no such arrangement existed in this timeline.

Perhaps it was for the best.

As he picked up the dishes, he saw that Arturia had already left the table and was headed to her room, most likely to change into a more comfortable dress, before heading out. He made his way to the kitchen, gripped on a lateral handle for a long shelf and pulled outwards. The long shelf opened up to reveal a nightmarish visage of a mouth, it has many blades stuck to its edges and it looked like a mouth with an infinite amount of teeth ready to grind away at whatever was foolish enough to enter its hold.

It was nightmarish due to the fact that It was in fact, a mystic code.

The elder Emiya casually dropped the dirty dishes in the serrated opening before closing it. A few moments later, the shelf reopened to reveal a pile of dishes neatly stacked together and clean enough to use as a mirror if one so wished. He took a moment to admire the cleanliness before picking up the dishes and placing them back into the cabinets where they belonged.

It was also apparently a dishwasher that cleaned dishes by cutting out any stains softer that the dishes from existence. An excellent example of a mystic code that had utilized itself in a manner not thought possible. In this case, cleaning messes instead of killing.

Many more of these bladed Mystic codes took the place of regular appliances usually found in the house hold.

Toasters that used blades with the affinity for more to heat a slice of bread to a beautiful golden brown colour.

Window blinds that literally sliced up any insects that wandered into the home, keeping the home bug free.

A vacuum cleaner that used blades to generate an immense wind force that no speck of dirt could resist.

A broom that cut tough dirt into pieces for easy disposal.

A massage chair that used its edges for bladed therapy.

A black pen that marked any surface it touched so as to make it unreasonably tough to even gloss over

Dozens more uncounted littered the house hold, disguised as the most mundane equipment, all using the ambient mana in the air to sustain itself and work. The entire house hold was a workshop, form the soft mattresses the family slept on to the door that opened and closed regularly. A casual glance would never allow a passing magi to find the mystic code hidden within the house hold, should they manage to break in.

The Emiya Estate was a Mystic Code and Workshop in and of itself.

The shed outside notwithstanding, as that was the younger boy's workshop that was just beginning to fill up with notes and projects.

* * *

It was the beginning of the week, a Monday. That meant he had to hurry or he would miss the bus to Misaki town.

Arriving at the front gates, he was greeted by the sight of his wife and child's apathetic gaze upon him. Despite this, he knew that they were both extremely eager to be out of the house. Arturia, so that she could freely indulge in her multiple vices, and Shirou, so he could hang out with his new friend. He believed it was Issei.

They would be a good influence on each other, he had first-hand knowledge after all.

He walked over and casually wrapped his arm around Arturia's waist. She shot him a glare but didn't even give token resistance at the action. Usually, she would be pushing him away subtly when even Shirou was nearby, but today she seemed to accept it. It was odd, but he knew not to push whatever luck he had further than it probably already was.

"Father…?" Shirou's voice alerted him from his dreaming, and he was reminded that yes, he was now running late for his transport and yes, his son would miss the school bus due to his carelessness.

I've gotten too soft…

Letting go of Arturia, he took out what appeared to be a hunting knife that had been nicked and chipped into a jagged degree. He aligned it with the keyhole and rammed it in, before twisting the handle in a pattern like one would to a combination lock. Moments later, a satisfying click made its way known, and the door opened.

Just in time too, the School transport had loaded up most of the kids and was about to leave. It was fifty-meter walk away, and no child could make it there before the last child hopped on.

Well, not one that had not been placed on a training regimen that would have cowed even veteran Spartan soldiers since a few months ago.

Shirou nearly blurred to the end of the line within several seconds, and he hadn't even begun to breathe faster. The driver either did not notice, not cared as he let Shirou on the bus. The boy made his way to the back and joined a bespectacled boy that seemed equally stoic, probably Issei.

The bus left, leaving only the pair by themselves.

The Servant took a look at his Master and noticed that she had already begun walking away to wherever her desires lead her for the day. He gazed longingly at her shrinking back, he stayed there until she disappeared around a bend. He then gazed at the time, he was already late.

Well, if there was one good thing about being a Servant, it was their ability to Astralize as they moved at high speeds across several kilometres. No one could see or hear him save another Servant or a spiritually sensitive creature.

It seemed he would be much earlier for work that usual.

Several minutes later, EMIYA materialized in an empty alleyway just outside the entrance to his business. It was three storied building that seemed of a generic model for building along the same block, and it was currently still closed, but he could already see a line forming outside his building, composed of various men and women of all sized, all dressed for a day of intense activities. He approached the door and they began calling out to him in greeting, he gave a simple wave in return, taking out a normal key to unlock the secured door to his establishment. As soon as the door opened, and he entered, people came pouring in by the droves through the security point, heading to various rooms on differing levels.

If one looked outside, they would see the establishment's name and purpose:

EMIYA: Entertainment for Musculature Inverse Yoga Armaments.

Exactly as the sign said, the place was for Anaerobic and aerobic activities, mediating exercises, massage treatment for muscle problems and training in the use of a weapon based martial arts.

It was a small business with a diverse base of operations and a rather large pool of local customers that came when it was open. It had different activities based on the day of the week it opened.

On Monday, it was anaerobic exercises that trained endurance.

On Tuesday, it was Aerobic exercises that worked on cardio.

On Wednesday, he offered very short, but satisfying massages to melt the tension away.

On Thursday, he taught various martial arts forms.

On Friday, he taught stretching and breathing exercises to help people calm themselves.

It had a large locker room for either gender that came fully stocked with clean towels and a mini onsen resort, a famous point of his establishment. Both of which were aided by mystic codes that kept everything neat and tidy once the customers were done using them.

While some came just to soak and relax, others came to participate in the day's activities. Either way, they could come and go as they please. The business worked on a monthly subscription that had a steep minimum entrance fee cost in addition to the subscribed activities for that month.

An additional security installed was an issuing of cards that were only valid for a month at a time. Replacements were weighted a hefty sum, so losing them was discouraged. As a result, only those with valid cards and valid identification could enter the establishment.

It was a very fine business, and one that allowed him to use the weapons of heroes past in a way that brought back just a little bit of their glory without exposing himself. No one suspected the ferocity of his lessons in spears to come from an Irish legend, nor the finesse of his katana lessons form a man who could match a force of nature alone with pure skill alone.

It was just a silent way of paying his respects to the strength of those he borrowed. After all, there was hope at the end of the tunnel as he could see. He didn't need to be so jaded and bitter anymore.

Perhaps even live a little…

He smirked at that thought as he changed into a more appropriate attire for the day, but then silently shuddered, when her imagined how Arturia 'lived'. Her level of indulgence was clearly on a whole other plane of existence compared to even drug addicts, without any of the negative side effects.

Truly, she was a fearsome foe to buffet restaurants and bars throughout the city as the 'Haunting Gourmet'. Able to clean out their supplies within hours of opening up, and they could not even ban her, due to her high charisma that lured in hordes of customers to that store for a week after her visit in hopes of catching a glimpse of her beauty. Not that her stare that told the people around her they were only useful bugs that amused her didn't help, though.

Shaking out of his reverie, the pre-summoned Servant made his way to the newest batch of customers that gladly paid him to torture-train them for the day. They were all located on the second floor, many of them fresh faces that had no idea of the pain that awaited them. The older ones had already begun some pre-warm ups. Smart.

It was time for some aerobic training (torture).

* * *

The sun had begun to set, which meant it was now closing time. He had to pick up his family from the park, he did possess the keys to the house after all. Not that he didn't trust Arturia with it of course, but with her erratic ventures into town that could last as short as Shirou's schooldays, to well into the early hours of the next day, he knew it would be better off for him to hold on to the keys, due to his more regular schedule.

Shirou usually waited for him at the park, passing the time with Issei as he waited to be picked up. The Servant wasn't worried, they had Kuzuki watching after them as a chaperone, and anyone who dared bear hostility in his presence would find that a snake pit was never to be disturbed, no matter how silent it seemed. The former assassin would definitely protect them.

That was another shift, I n his timeline, Souichirou Kuzuki had not retired until years later, becoming an ethics teacher a year before he entered the school. Now, the man seemed to be at peace as he watched to next generation grow. It was an odd shift, but not an unwelcome one. Hopefully with this change, the former assassin would not be chosen as the upcoming master almost a decade from now.

"Hello Kuzuki-san, I appreciate your assistance in chaperoning my son while I am at work, I apologize for any inconveniences caused" The Servant said as he neared the former assassins position, he made sure his presence was clear and loud enough so as to not raise any alarms. The stoic man shifted his head in his general direction in acknowledgement, before turning back to his current assignment.

"It is no trouble, Emiya-san. In fact, it seems the children are enjoying the healthy amount of socializing. Issei is a shut in most of the time, but Shirou seems to have no trouble getting past that and befriending him." The former assassin replied. The elder Emiya nodded as he took a seat beside the ethics teacher, enjoying the sight of two children playing in the park.

The sun was indeed beginning to set, but the two children paid little heed to the light. Issei followed Shirou around, a jar in hand, while the red head forged ahead, tossing anything he found interesting into the jar. It was particularly entertaining to see the normally calm Issei so flustered upon seeing the jar fill up with a variety of insects and foliage. He let out a small chuckle.

Then it happened.

Shirou immediately tensed up, his body going stiff and his head held high in the air as if sniffing something. He then immediately took off, much to the confusion of Issei, who looked dumbstruck for several seconds.

"You are not going to chase him, Emiya-san?"

"Shirou can handle himself just fine." He knew the reason the boy had run off, even if his enhanced senses as a Servant hadn't alerted him so. He suspected the former assassin did as well, "A couple of bullies are no match for him"

He heard the soft sound of tiny fists hitting something soft. He smelt the aggression and arrogance wafting towards him. He could see the violence that a group of five older boys was performing on a lone girl younger that them. Shirou probably sensed something he could not identify, but he knew that it was wrong.

Sakura.

It was minutes later that Shirou came back to the park with a little girl on his back. She was only slightly smaller than him and had a bruise on her cheek to show any event. Her short hair was purple, and her dull lavender eyes remained terribly unfocused. Shirou looked much worse for wear, his clothes were all dirty and his knuckles looked scratched up. He was by far in the worse condition.

Despite all those injuries, he seemed far more elated of the two, even if both of them showed the same stoic features.

The elder Emiya crossed his arms over his chest and sighed in exasperation at what he knew to be a premature encounter of one of his objectives. A milestone he and Arturia had discussed in depth on how to acquire and utilize to their side, making use of countless hours of strategy and planning to obtain.

Even though it should have been impossible, he felt like he just aged several decades in an instant as more than half those plans were dashed out the window.

As expected of his E-rank luck, he would probably receive a non-verbal, non-physical, whipping from Arturia as he slaved over a stove to prepare for her a wallet busting feast when they next meet.

 _Which is tonight._

He grimaced internally.

With a grunt, he pushed himself to treat his son and a new companion, pulling out his mystic code band aids. They looked like normal childish Band-Aids, with cartoonish swords icons over them, but they had been modified to contain a minuscule amount on anaesthetics' and countless cell-sized swords that knitted both surface and internal flesh together and naturally dispersed into ambient mana once the wound had healed. He put one on Sakura's bruised cheek and some on Shirou's injured form, the injuries would be gone in minutes.

"Shirou, who this sweet girl you've found? And where did you get those injuries?" He asked in an almost sarcastic tone. He knew the answer to both questions of course and knew he had been supposed to asked these questions before patching the boy up, not after.

However, if there was one thing that made up the core of the person that was Shirou Emiya, it was his love of other people over himself. That single fact could not be changed, but it could be directed to say…. a loved one, rather than to the uncaring masses. He would not answer until his rescue was all better, something the elder Emiya knew and attended to Sakura first.

He never noticed the former assassin take Issei home.

* * *

The little girl looked up and set her gaze upon the ashen-haired man that looked a spitting image of his son, her gaze began to focus itself at the warmth of the smile the two males gave off. It rekindled something within her, something she thought lost to her.

Hope.

"Sakura." Her voice was soft, but she could tell that the pair's attention was all on her now. "I'm Sakura Matou…"

The older man gave a slight frown at the mention of her new family name, but when he gazed back at her, she could feel the compassion sliding off him. The little boy that carried her despite his injuries was incredibly warm, nothing like the cold confines of her 'home'. He too gave off an air of acceptance, despite his stoic visage. It showed in his firm, but gentle grip he had on her as he kept her in a piggy back ride position.

It wasn't like uncle Kariya, a smile that tried to hide away the immense pain eating at his very life force while comforting a loved one. He always wanted her to have friends, saying how much he wanted to spoil the lucky person who would befriend her.

In the end, he never did come back.

And her hope and extinguished.

Until now.

Unconsciously, she began to hold the boy closer to her, as they began moving. In her mental thoughts, she had missed the conversation that took place, but she was sure it had something to do with 'sleep, home and dinner'.

Safe.

She felt safe in his proximity like nothing could touch her anymore. Just a little longer, she wanted this feeling to last.

Just a little longer…

Sakura Matou fell into a deep sleep form their rhythmic steps home.

 **A/N: Okay, I'll try to answer reviews here if I can, I apologize if some aren't answered, though. Also, does anyone want a codex next chapter? I feel it would really help with the flow of the story if I could just use a term that could be referenced in a codex rather than wasting time explaining it in a context that could be filled with better scenes. Your opinions?**

 **UltimateTouken: You will have to be patient, however, I do plan for catalysts to be far less potent. It's more like a nudging to the Grail than any actual insurance, I assure you.**

 **Guest: It's hard to address you without a specific pen name, but I'll get straight to it. No Arturia is still the slender beauty we all know and love. But don't be disappointed, there will be more to come!**

 **emiya-excalibur: Yes, real training, but not yet described in detail at the moment. Yes, he will be BAMF, but not for a VERY long time. Don't worry you'll see hm struggle and fall in his quest for power, obligatory for all heroes!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

 **A/N: An overwhelming response from the last chapter! Apologies for the one week delay! Hopefully, this length will satisfy you until the next one!**

 **Original idea by konamikode from Sufficient Velocity**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own F S/Nm nor the idea for this story.**

As expected, Arturia had not been at all pleased.

"My Dearest… lumbering idiot. " She let out a breath of exasperation, but to anyone else unfamiliar with her habits, it might as well have been a deeper exhale. Her golden eyes lingered at her son and the little girl they had picked up at the park, both children were cutely prostrating on the floor, somehow knowing of her displeasure. Her gaze then transferred to her somewhat idiotic husband of a Heroic Spirit and stayed there. "We do not pick up strays… especially weak little girls"

EMIYA barely bit back a comment about Arturia's own diminutive stature, only a slight twitch on his left cheek revealed anything. He did not look at her either, for this was one Arturia Pendragon that had as many worldly lusts as the untainted one had of inhibitions of the same things. No doubt, she would strike him down rather hard if he so much as misspoke. But in a situation that gave him no chance to defend himself as the one-sided conversation grew heavier and heavier in his wife's favour, what could possibly be done?

From the structural analysis he got, the two children were throwing silent looks at each other. Their interest in the other's lack of expression terribly hidden from the other.

His Structural Analysis pulsing throughout the house at ten times per second gave him a real-time view of his surroundings at all angles.

It also reminded him of one very important fact about the girl and why he had allowed Shirou to take her in.

Zouken.

"Now is there an explanation? Or do you simply like picking up strays?" Her voice was cold and collected, but she was definitely annoyed at him. He would have to reveal to her the girl's identity and activate the plan sooner than either would have liked.

"Sakura trees fall rotten on the ground, spewing borrowed worms within."

"I see" The only physical reaction to this was the closing of her eyelids for a split second longer than it normally would. When she opened them again, her gaze focused on him and sharpened. "Shirou, go take Sakura to the Dojo and show her the first of your drills… your father and I need to talk"

Hearing the dismissal, the two children immediately took off. Shirou gently took hold of Sakura's hands and lead her to the after mentioned location to show her the fruits of his training. Not that he needed to, Arturia had an eye for such things, and already knew of his level of performance so far. They just needed some privacy

"Now then, how will we go about this now one of our targets have landed into our laps?"

* * *

Not a word was said between the two children. Shirou held Sakura's hand firmly in his and she squeezed just a bit tighter as they navigated through the maze of shoji screens that made up the halls and corners. Left, right, straight, right, right, straight.

Eventually, they reached a Shoji screen that was slightly larger than any other in the house. Shirou used his free hand to slide the doors open and pull his newest partner inside. They made their way to the end of the room with the dojo's motto on it, and he let go.

Sakura looked around the room, it was old, but well kept. The wood having been deformed in areas of intense practice but polished over repeatedly to give a shine. Light also filtered through the nearby window, letting in the cool breeze blow and freshen the room. The amount of effort and serenity invested into this room would immediately make anyone at least relax.

Sakura's breathing elevated instead.

Shirou gazed at her from his kneeling position, having gotten into a warm up stance for his first of many drills. He heard her heightened breathing, and though he did not show it, his worry and concern for her wellbeing was picked up and tossed into the furnace of his inner world as fuel. He felt it but did not express it explicitly at all.

"Your breathing" A terse, but cute statement. Coming from a child that intended for it to be commanding and polite, it came out quite endearing instead. He calmly looked at her chest.

Despite its briefness, Sakura came to understand its intent. She noticed her the tightness in her own chest and attempted to soothe it by applying pressure. However, such measures only increased the pressure in her chest, to an almost painful level. Any normal person would have died in shock.

She simply rubbed it. She had experienced far worse on her first few days of adoption into her new family. Besides, she knew exactly what the cause of the pain was.

It was wrapped around her heart, coiled over her spine. Every heartbeat she made, was by the whim of this… the creature inside of her. It made itself known to her every so often, a reminder of the power it had over even her life support capabilities. A chain she could never remove, a brand of slavery that burned with every breath.

"It hurts, but I can't do anything" Her grip loosened as the pain ceased, once she acknowledged it. She shifted into an area for spectators and took a seat. Her gazed focused on him alone, her breathing slowed.

"Alright, I will begin" Seeing she was no longer in pain, Shirou decided to continue his exhibition. He began with warm ups.

However, the brief flash of utter despair and loss he saw flash across her eyes stayed in his mind. It wasn't fueled like his emotions to feed into his furnace. No, it was something far more potent.

A Catalyst. One that amplified his emotions upon contact before it was fed to his furnace.

The fires within his inner forge roared to live.

He would never forget that moment.

"I will now begin Drill One"

* * *

"It seems things are already rippling in a different direction sooner than anticipated" Arturia lounged in the living room's only high chair, her servant kneeling in front of her, head bowed. Her eyebrows creased ever so slightly as she swirled a cup of rice wine in her delicate fingers "Your timeline seems to have been invalidated already at such an early point"

"Small changes seems to have occurred as a result of our invasion into this timeline. I was never meant to be summoned at this point of time, and your existence even more so." He commented, there was a casket of fine wines next to him, one of the wines had been opened and left there. "However, long term plans like the founding families desire for the Holy Grail will not change. So long as a connection can be forged this early on and kept nurtured, our plans will not have to deviate much at all"

"Such cunning my dear husband… who would have thought such a selfishly selfless person such as you would end up this way?" This time, she did smile, but it was cold and mirthless. "Then, since we've gone past the pre initialization stages, let us proceed"

"Yes, Mistress" Archer agreed, nodding his head. It would definitely be odd for him that was for sure.

Who could claim to have played matchmaker to themselves while unware of it in the least?

* * *

Shirou was sweating like darkened rain clouds as he ran through his tenth drill. His training clothes were completely soaked, and on Sakura's side was one bottle of water. A water dispenser lay on one side of the wall, and from the dark stains on it, the tool had been used quite often to replenish lost fluids.

Sakura had been mildly surprised at the level of brutal training Shirou was putting himself through at such a young age. She saw the equipment he used, and she figured it belonged more to a torture room form the medieval ages than a tool for training. His activities too could have been completely normal strength circuit, except that its sheer intensity far surpassed anything she had ever seen before.

Before this moment, she would have been convinced that no normal human, reinforced or otherwise could strap on inner studded five-kilo weights all over his bodily limbs and sprint continuously around the 20mx20m dojo for half an hour without taking breaks.

She'd certainly been surprised that he managed to pass her thirty times in the first minute alone with all that burden on him at triple the speed a normal person could run, As well as a little dizzy from attempting to follow him around the room. Where a simple fall would hurt immensely due to the angular studs embedded within the weights.

Certainly it would warrant something similar to child abuse?

Not that she cared enough though considering her own situation.

"First drill… complete…" The boy eventually slowed down on shaky legs, looking like he wanted to collapse, but refused to do so on will alone. His legs were buckling, and he'd locked them in order to keep standing. His arms were totally limp and even his torso was trembling with every breath he made. His head was straightened and deeply inhaling down air. It looked really pathetic and painful with all those weights still strapped on his body. Probably the only reason he didn't collapse was the greater pain he would receive upon contact with the ground. Despite all this he seemed to keep a straight face.

First drill… didn't he mention ten? Was he really going to do nine more of these obviously taxing activity by his own will? Without any external sources of motivation?

"Emiya-san… drink some water" Somehow, Sakura found herself currently next to the boy, holding an opened bottle of water in her hands toward him. She didn't know how she got here or what had happened, only that Shirou was looking at her with a strange intensity despite his rigid facial features. Finally, he accepted the offering and carefully sipped.

"Matou-san… that way of addressing is for my father, please refer to me as Shirou" He said this coolly as if he hadn't been panting like a dog several seconds ago. The way he hid things from the tiniest reactions to obvious sources of discomfort was rather adorable.

For the first time, Sakura felt just a tiny bit of amusement.

"Your face… does it hurt?" Shirou was suddenly so close to her, his finger was pointed to her, or rather her lips. Confused, she raised a hand to feel any injuries on it, but there was nothing. "Oh, it's gone now"

"Then… call me Sakura. I would rather not be called Matou if I can help it" A hint of annoyance ignited within her, and she began to wonder. Her emotions were getting stronger the more she spent with the boy. Feeling usually suppressed with her 'grandfathers' magic welled to the surface. Irritation at Shinji's constant whining. Revulsion for her new adoptive family. Hate for her former family that drove her to such a fate, even her sister dearest…

…and a passionate fire that burned through her body at the boy in front of her.

Why did his presence trigger such emotions?

She didn't know, but it felt good to let it all out now.

Suddenly, he took her hand into his own. She didn't know what was happening next, so clutching the hem of her purple dress, she tensed up as his gaze bored deeper and deeper into her. Soon after, the boy closed his eyes, and she felt the slightest tingle reverberate through out her entire body all at once.

"Shirou… what are you doing?" Finally mustering up the courage in the strange situation she found herself in, she looked into his gaze. It had an intensity that not even those decades his seniors had.

"Structural Analysis. Find your problem"

Her eyes widened, and for the first time since her introduction to her training, she panicked. She didn't know why, but she knew deep down that letting him do such a thing would leave her unable to face him for the rest of her life. She could never live with herself if that happened.

Not when the mere thought of Shirou Emiya sent a pleasant fire to tingling throughout her entire body. No way.

"No, you can't!" She broke off from his warm hands as quickly as she could, clutching the hand close to her chest and looking away. From her peripheral vision, she could see the boy's hand still frozen in mid-air in shock despite his stoic features."… Not you..."

"Sakura…" His arms finally fell limp, losing whatever energy it had accumulated. He turned away from her and began unbinding his weights, letting them fall with a heavy sound. He then picked them up and neatly placed them where they belonged along with the rest of his torture/exercise equipment "It seems my exhaustion has impaired my judgment, I will see you at dinner, and Mother certainly will not be pleased with my lack of drills today"

* * *

It was now dinner time at the Emiya house hold. While Arturia sat calmly at the table, Sakura had followed Shirou to the kitchen, where the father was preparing a meal at a physics-bending rate and similar ways. While she still could not face him, she was content in watching him from behind for now.

Of course, the delicious smell of food also helped keep her position rooted on the spot.

"Sakura"

She froze up, even the 'implants' within her were startled at having their host being addressed by such a grand entity. For once, the force which continuously drove her to such a great misery was removed and she was free.

No.

She had simply been bound by an even greater shackle, one that required nothing as crude as pain or threats to manipulate her, but simple words.

"Sit beside me"

Knowing she had even less will than before, she simply obeyed. It made things so much easier to simply bow to the woman's whims rather than resist them. In fact, now that she thought about it, it seemed actually pleasant to follow her orders…

"I will give you two choices, here and now. Depending on how you answer, I will either be satisfied or greatly… displeased" The woman was in the same seiza position as her, but she made it look like some king of grand throne rather that her own legs. Like royalty. "So think carefully on your answer"

Sakura rapidly nodded in agreement. Displeasing this woman spelt trouble... but greatly displeasing her?

She didn't want to think about it.

The regal woman looked at the two empty cups in front of them, as if waiting for them to be filled, but who-

Sakura quickly poured the warm tea into both their cups, fearing what would happen if she either waited too long or spilled so much as a single drop. Once done, she replaced the teapot and awaited for the woman to have the first cup. She sat quietly in her position, facing her cup, but peering at the other womans'.

"Do you want it?" She took a sip.

"Pardon?" Sakura asked, unsure of what her intentions were. However, she placed both her hands over her mouth in realization how rude her question sounded in her presence.

"Your freedom, I could give it to you right now. With my abilities I could easily purify your body of those parasites within your body, restore you to before it all began. Before you became a... attuned to be a magus"

The little girl was shocked, here she was, with a person she _believed_ with her whole heart, could actually free her from the chains within her own body! She wanted to say yes. She wanted to be free from the parasites within her!

However, she realized the consequences as soon as she thought about it. With the parasites removed from her body, what would be left of her? Sakura Toshaka stopped existing the moment she was adopted. Her old family had all but abandoned her.

As a Matou, she was constantly tortured, but despite the cruel methods her 'grandfather' used, he really did have her as a priority to be his successor. Everything he did was to strengthen her, to prepare her body for the day he would finally pass on his power to her.

Despite the attention she was given, there wasn't a shred of affection or love in that terrible place. It gave her power, but it was driving her insane with each trip to the training pits. One of the reasons her emotions had dulled to such an extent.

She wanted to be free… but she had nowhere to go to, and despite everything she'd gone through. Every bite of her flesh, every nightmare of every hour in training.

She'd earned every single scrap of power she had thus far through willpower alone.

With resolute eyes, Sakura turned to the woman and was about to give her answer-

"Or perhaps…"

Only hushed whispers could now be heard between the two as the two males began preparing to serve dinner.

* * *

"Is this Zouken Matou?"

"…"

"Your granddaughter will be staying with us overnight"

"…"

"Your minimal understanding irks me, but eavesdropping on our conversation greatly **displeases** me"

"…"

"As expected, even a worm such as yourself can understand my ire. Hence, from tomorrow onwards I will expect to see Sakura at the Emiya residence every morning, where she and my son will go to the same school, class, and activity until high school graduation"

"…"

"Oh? Then shall I simply tear out your true form and hunt the rest of your body down? I care not whether the girl lives or dies. It would be far more convenient, however, for her to live."

"…."

"A deal? It seems I gave your centuries-old mind too much credit. We are not brokering a deal, for such a thing infers that we are at least equals. This is an **order** "

"…"

"I expect everything to be in order by next dusk. Until then, Sakura will be staying in the Emiya household."

"…"

"I will broker no such discussion. Have a _pleasant_ night" With that, Arturia cut the connection between the two households with her latest smartphone. She gazed at the now blank screen of the device and place in on a random table, uncaring of its location. The device felt tainted after that call, she would have to get a new one later.

"Shirou, go take a bath," Arturia said as soon as she saw the clock turn eight in the evening. The boy nodded and walked to get his pajamas ready. While she knew he hadn't done ten drills that she asked him to do, he had forged something with the little girl in their household, if her captivated eyes were to be any evidence. "While doing so, go bathe with Sakura as well"

For the first time, she actually saw Shirou actually look away in embarrassment. It lasted only for a second, but it was a moment she absolutely relished. Since the she raised the boy to take her word as law, he would undoubtedly follow it to the letter along with its intent. Taking a somewhat flustered girl by the hand, Shirou departed to their bath.

* * *

The home had four bathrooms, each one for a different reason. The first was a normal bath, with a washstand, tub, and toilet bowl and shower cap, basically, anything you'd find in a normal modern bath. The second was the Children's bath, everything a normal bath would have, but with more colourful soaps and cartoonish mascots decorating the area. The third was Arturia's, it was simply luxury all in one, with automatic, state of the art equipment running the place for maximum comfort and herbal soap for relaxing sessions. The last was EMIYA's bath, it was basically a bladed death-trap for anyone that wasn't him in there due to the fact that it was a mystic code run on blades, and any normal person would get a paper cut form even entering the place, not to mention the bath itself.

Right now, the two children were headed for their respective baths.

Once the two were done, she would take her own relaxing shower. In the meanwhile, the current erotic literature she was reading 'Ninja's of Love', would keep her entertained.

The scenes were so graphic, she couldn't wait to try it out with her cute little Servant!

It would definitely make for an interesting first time for either of them…

"Somehow, I feel my non-existent ego just inflated and then ripped away brutally by some unknown force." EMIYA thought out loud, as he was taking care of the house chores, slicing away the pests and stubborn stains from the household floor with his broom mystic code. He then took out his mystic code vacuum cleaner to suck up all the loosened dirt off the floor.

He looked up in wonder, thinking either Alaya or Gaia would come and tear his spirit away, laughing at his misery. However, when that didn't come, he simply shrugged and continued his duties. It would be another long day tomorrow, the sooner the kids were tucked in and the house clean, the sooner her could go to bed and be up.

Time soon flew by, and EMIYA found himself relaxing as blades of water sliced into his back in a relaxing rhythm of bliss. His mystic code soap both disinfected his skin and cut away and organisms and dirt on the surface still attached to him. Once done, he dried himself with a regular towel, tied it on his waist, and gazed into the mirror.

The reflection that stared back was that of a handsome young man with a well-toned body, tanned skin, short ashen hair and steely eyes. However, the expression lacked the usual snark and jaded sarcasm that usually plagued it. The features were far more relaxed, happy, and content.

Indeed, that was the case. He was living an almost normal life, with an almost girl of his dreams, with an almost normal child, in an almost normal home and city. It was his second chance to be happy, and he was not foolish enough to throw something like that away, even if it would be for less than a decade of his stay here.

Shaking himself out of his reverie, EMIYA exited the bathroom, fully expecting to crawl into bed and begin snoozing away.

"Evening honey…" A seductive voice echoed throughout the room, and it came from his bed.

His room was quite different from how he remembered it. There were candles and herbal scents all over the place, and it was intoxicating him with his magically attuned nose.

Laying splayed out and in a sheer nightgown, so dark it both revealed and hid her pale skin, was Arturia. His throat immediately parched, and energy was diverted into EMIYA Jr. at the sight. Despite having a dense child hood, he was a man now, and any man able to resist such a scene would either have to be both blind and deaf or gay.

"I take it you like it?" She posed a question and sensually covered her lip with a single finger, a full blown smirk dancing on her lips at his reaction. She was certainly amused. "Then why don't you join me for the night? I'd love to spend the night forgetting today's events"

EMIYA returned her smirk to one that twitched in a mixture of annoyance and lust. He crossed his arms together and pretended to think, before nodding.

The towel fell forgotten on the floor, and the sheets quickly rumpled in a flurry of heated action.

* * *

Unaware, the pair of children, who had been tucked in by Arturia earlier, were quite cozy. Since they were so small, they both fit into a single futon snuggly. Arturia had tucked them in, so neither of them dared disturb the setting. This resulted in the pair snuggly fitted together.

"Hey Shirou"

"Yeah?"

"Can we get another futon?"

"I would if Father tucked me in… but this is my Mother"

"Right…"

"Maybe I'll just open it a bit for some fresh air-"

'Crash!' A sound came from somewhere in the house and the children thought they heard Arturia screaming something loudly from her sound-proofed bedroom. Shirou immediately tucked the sheet as it previously was and laid totally still.

"A little heat is fine I guess"

"Y-yeah, it isn't that bad being hot at night…"

Both children stared at the ceiling until sleep overcame them, sweating nervous bullets about Arturia's wrath visiting them.

* * *

' **Having fun, EMIYA? How cruel of you to play with your target, how terrible you are to delay a swift and painless death for two decades!'**

 _Now decades later, the little princess he had once known and entertained had grown into an extraordinary beauty. She had a dozen female escorts who attended to her every need, and male nobles who attempted to court her every day. She walked through the hall with an excited face for today was the day! She ran to the garden and ran ahead of her gaggle of admirers and servants, the Sakura petals obscuring her form sight._

" _Shirou!"_

 _The beautiful princess came up and hugged an armoured samurai from behind, who had been in an in-depth discussion with the Emperor about the state of the country. Rather than scolding her, both men began to laugh heartily after a moment of shock._

" _That is Shogun to you, princess" The samurai Shogun, now identified as Shirou stated._

" _My little blossom, show some respect! He may have been your playmate, but he has duties to the country first!" The Emperor scolded, but he did so in a playful manner. Deep down, they were all well acquainted with each other._

 _Getting appointed as Shogun, due to his exceptional fighting prowess as a literal one-man army in holding off an invasion form a neighbouring nation. The Emperor had been doubly grateful, when instead of taking advantage of his positon to seize control and establish a Shogunate under his own rule, the man simply stayed true to his appointment and continued to protect the land he was charged with. There were many neighbouring countries with warlord shoguns who sought to conquer other countries, once they had done so with their own, in order to obtain one of the three treasures of this country._

 _The Heavenly Jade Stone said to purify anything, whether it be contaminated water of rotten food or infected injuries._

 _The Four-Cursed Arrow and Nine-Tipped Heaven's Bow_

 _And the Princess herself said to be of unrivalled beauty throughout the land._

 _Thus far, with Shogun Shirou protecting the land, none of the treasures had so much moved into the enemy's direction even once._

 _The Emperor had been impressed by Shirou's never-miss bow shots with even the worst equipment given that is, a hand-made bow and arrow crafted himself in a matter of minutes. The admittedly crappy looking ranged weapon had been able to kill a vicious black bear that had once threatened the Emperor during one of his regular hunts. Considering that he had fired the arrow across the lake and missing the ruler by mere inches, before killing the animal via eye penetration to the brain with sub-sub-par equipment, he had certainly been impressed._

 _He had not been, though, with some of his personal guard that were tossed around like rag dolls._

 _Another time, Shirou proved himself was with fighting with multiple warlords, who had teamed up to personally take him down in an unfair five verses one match. The ashen-haired man simply took out a blood-red spear and performed seeming impossible acrobatics to execute the cheating warlords in seconds._

 _Needless to say, their armies soon scattered in fright back to their homes._

 _It was when multiple fronts were attacks that the Emperor appointed Shirou as his Shogun, trusting the man with his country's fate._

 _Fortunately, his trust had been very well placed._

" _Alright Father, but won't you at least tell him-mmphf!" The Emperor quickly muffled his daughter's mouth before she could spill the beans._

" _Ah, don't mind her, Shogun!" He laughed nervously, "She is simply too excited to see you once again"_

" _It's fine, it has been a long time, has it not, Mizi-chan?" Shirou laughed at the family antics, having become the Emperors closest, more so than even the Prime Minister or even his own advisor. The Shogun's advice was taken with great consideration, it had improved the quality of life for his nation after all._

" _Well then, why don't we catch up later in my throne room? I'd like to announce something, I would certainly appreciate your attendance!"_

" _Of course, Tenno! I will gladly be awaiting your presence"_

 _With that, the Shogun left the imperial family for a walk through the palace._

 _Servants bowed and smiled as he passed. Guards paid him great respect, and many of the nobles shied away from him._

 _Due to his reputation as The Lone Shogun, a lethal army killer that used his troops to trap opposing armies and single handily kill them. His men loved him due to having the lowest casualty rate of any army, and the citizens viewed him as a hero._

 _It really wouldn't be that hard to take over the country, it was but a sentence away from being his. All he had to do was ask, there would be no opposition, whatsoever._

 _He put his helmet on, concealing the tears that flowed down his cheeks._

 _But…_

"… _if I must obliterate this country, then at least let it be at the height of its glory at the very least. Let them experience absolute euphoria, happiness, and fulfilment in life."_

 _The visions blurred, turning the serene scene into a mixture of splotchy colours. A single voice rang out._

" _ **You have until the … EMIYA. Finish your mission, or … revoked. The year of the …is when you will strike. You will not fail!"**_

 **A/N: I hoped you enjoyed this little side story. Just a dip of the shit CG EMIYA has been through though his timeless existence. Oh and the place here does exist in the real world… it is simply lost.**

 **You've probably noticed I've made up some NP's here. I'll give ya codex sheets on that next chapter.**

 **Let Flames come! Let Praise come! Let your thoughts fall here!**

 **Remember to review! It pumps me up to make a chapter much that much sooner!**

 **Later.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

 **A/N: Thank you all for you continued support! I hope to continue pressing out these chapters as they come! Now to answer some concerns of readers.**

 **SilverstormXD: I find nothing about mistresses, perhaps you are mistaken?**

 **Raynisia: Arturia Alter is not heartless, she'd quite the paradoxical existence of her former self. She indulges in every vice she finds in gratuitous amounts rather than the innocent moral restraints she usually bears. She sees simply sees no need to express herself rather than restraining it. If she finds that giggling out loud brings more satisfaction than having a stoic countenance, she will do so. Think of her countenance as Neutral Evil.**

 **shadowslayer2015: That would be far too merciful.**

 **Amouren: I will refer to the Heroic Spirit version of Shirou as EMIYA, but never as Shirou, for that is reserved for his younger counterpart: Shirou Pendragon Emiya.**

 **As for your opinion, I assume you dislike ShirouxSakura pairings? No worries, such things like pairings are far more complex that person A likes person B.**

 **Talesfanjmf: Thank you, as EMIYA is the co-Protagonist in this story, we will indeed see a lot of him, but also the lives of Shirou and Sakura, to keep up with their lives.**

 **UltimateTouken: You will just have to see.**

 **Mark: Indeed, Artoria is the Heroine here.**

 **Humida: I try to imagine myself in EMIYA's position whenever I write out personalities since he sees things through mostly unbiased views.**

 **Now on to the story!**

Dawn arrived, and the dark queen of both countries and the bedroom had to stop her pleasurable activities. The light shone through the windows, the bedsheets wiggled loose and Arturia Alter Pendragon released her death grip on her metaphysical husband. It was enough for the Heroic Spirit to slip free, he had household duties to attend to anyway. A cold bed-side was nothing compared to an empty breakfast plate after all. Honestly, any normal man would have died from the sheer intensity of their night of passion together.

Sliding off the soaked bed sheet, EMIYA made his way to prepare for the day. It only took a quick rinse to freshen himself up and get dressed for the day, it helped that Arturia's Dragon Core supplied him with an absurd amount of Prana to work with. He made his way to prepare the morning meal and check on the two children.

Coming across a shoji screen clearly belonging to Shirou, EMIYA slid the door open to check the current status of its occupants. Confirming the pair were adorably snuggled in the same futon and snoozing away. With a grin, he slid the door wider and left to prepare breakfast. He would let the sweet smell of food lure them in if he knew himself as well as he thought he would, the two would be awake as soon as the sound of meat sizzling in the pan reached its one-minute mark.

True to his thoughts, he saw Shirou leading an equally sleepy Sakura by the hand towards the living room. It was so cute the way the pair of them got along, he couldn't care less if it was voluntarily or if his wife had subconsciously intimidated them to do so.

Moments later, the after mentioned wife appeared in her usual dark dress and stern impassive countenance. She took her spot on the table and waited. EMIYA did not waste any time setting up the dish on the spot, filling up four lunchboxes and tossing four plated of breakfast at such an angle that all four plates of mouthwateringly delicious homemade meals landed perfectly without so much a drop spilled anywhere. He soon joined the table, and they began eating their morning supply of energy.

"Any plans for today my dear husband" The way she addressed him but gave a dismissive gaze to the pair of children gave him a bit of a sinking feeling. The children quickly vacated the premise and left the poor man alone with his wife. EMIYA squashed his nervousness, knowing how much she hated open displays of weakness.

"Well Arturia, today is Wednesday so I must prepare to massage my various customers."

"Oh? Is it good? Your massaging skills?" She somehow managed to sound condensing while voicing such a simple question.

"Ah, they do pay exorbitant amounts for a single session with me. Certainly, my personal time is worth enough for my already affluent patrons to spend even greater exorbitant amounts for one of my massages" EMIYA attempted to explain in such a way that it appeared normal and not in a lewd way. He knew massages were sometimes illicit ways for prostitution. if she somehow misunderstood…

It would not end well, considering he saw him as her property.

"Exorbitant amount? Your personal time? I Shall be the judge of that. Come I have decided"

"Uh, Arturia? Where are you going?" EMIYA asked as she got up from the table, however, he knew and dreaded the answer to her question immediately.

"Did I not make myself clear enough? I will judge whether your time is worth as much as you say it is. You will be giving me a massage today" EMIYA could only move to do the dishes, while he inwardly gawked. He would have to move many clients around today considering his waiting list had a two-month waiting list, in addition to the ten-million-yen admission fee and the actual appointment costing fifty million yen per hour. Missing even one of those appointments would ruin the reputation he built so hard to cultivate!

He arrived at his establishment with Arturia in tow, her dark dress gone and replaced with a high impact sports bra under a tank top and tight shorts, both of which showed off her amazingly proportioned, but petite form. Her hair was tied into a high ponytail and stuck out from the sports cap she wore in addition to the designer shades to conceal her golden eyes. The amount of mouthwateringly pale skin she exposed had every man and many women gaze at her.

All twelve of his customers for the day gazed at her, some in confusion, but many in lust. He decided to address them if only to appease them. "Good morning to all of you, now I know many of you have placed both your time and money into waiting for a chance to have a go with my massages, but for today, please understand-"

"Wait I recognize her! I won't ever mistake that healthy milky skin or air of authority! It's the Connoisseur of Vices!" One man, fortunately (for EMIYA) interrupted. Everyone gazed towards him, a man of average height with messy brown hair and eyes, he looked quite plain, but was, in fact, a very affluent owner of a chain of famous restaurants Arturia had been frequenting lately. He immediately got down on his knees in complete and utter submission.

Arturia removed her expensive shades in response at the prostrating man in slight approval, showing her beautiful golden eyes to the remaining present. Soon the darker side of her Charisma kicked in and everyone was simply prostrating in front of her. "Our greatest apologies Connoisseur of Vices, we had no idea you had plans to use this establishment. Please forgive our insolence!"

"You are forgiven, now leave my sight you insects!" As one the crowd left in a hurry, leaving EMIYA with what was formerly going to be twelve full hours of work to whatever his wife wanted from him. He could not stop himself from twitching uncontrollably at the sheer absurdity she commanded, but did hold himself from gawking.

He understood she had A-Ranked Charisma, but this was ridiculous!

"Come on dear, from now until we pick up the children, I'll let your fingers do the talking" The tone she used was both seductive and dangerous, and he could not help but be aroused as she affectionately traced his chin with a dismissive pinky. She walked towards the establishment with the keys in hand, having swiped it from him during the exchange. It looked like she owned the place rather than him.

What was with him and dangerous, but alluring women that could annihilate him in moments?

* * *

"Hey Emiya, who's that behind you?" Issei inquired his friend, as they took seats on the school bus. He usually would not even notice a new face, but the fact that she was practically glued to his side and had an extremely unusual pigment for her eyes and hair drew his attention. The girl didn't look as nervous as she acted, but he could see that she was a bit overwhelmed by the crowding of students if her tight grip on his friend's school uniform was any indication.

"Sakura" The impassive red head implied in just a flat as tone as the aura atmosphere he gave out. As if saying her name would allow anyone who asked to draw their own answers from it. Issei nearly face-palmed, still unable to get around the fact that his 'friend' was so blank, his name described him perfectly!

"And why is she with you?" Issei probed deeper, wanting to both get a deeper understanding of the new girl and 'train' Shirou to be more elaborate in his explanations. It was one of the reasons he befriended the boy after all. If he could not get one fellow human being to reach a normal state of mind, how would he reach enlightenment as a monk himself?

Thus was Issei's point of view on the situation at hand and self-imposed duty to 'normalize' the boy known as Shirou Pendragon Emiya before he himself became a Monk. To him, this was a sacred duty, as he followed the principle that every journey began with a single step.

Too bad for him, this chosen step was one hell of a sheer climb up.

"You were with me yesterday. We beat up the older boys that were harassing her. Mother decided that she would be stuck with me until she deems it necessary to split us apart" Issei simply nodded his head at this and stopped his questioning the moment he heard Shirou mention it was his Mother's Idea. He knew better than to pry into anything that dealt with Shirou's parents, especially his maternal side of the family.

Many of the other students got chills at the mention of Shirou's mother, having met her during the parent-teacher conference just recently. Every teacher had been so intimidated by Miss Pendragon despite her diminutive size and petite frame, they had been forced to simply talk to Mister Emiya instead of both, who held more expression than both his wife and child combined. The woman's pale haunting beauty but unapproachable air made many of the parents keep their distance, and hence, the children followed. Shirou's impassiveness at most things did little to help, as children found him far too bland to play with.

As a result, Shirou did many things together. Until one day Issei followed him to the park out of sheer curiosity. It then began one of the strangest and awkward friendships in history. They had been together ever since.

Now the duo was on the cusp of evolving into a trio.

The ride to school remained in heavy silence.

* * *

"Class, may I have your attention please!" A young woman in a high school PE uniform announced to the rather rowdy kindergarteners who were quickly filling up their seats. They focused their attention on the new face calling for attention, replacing the usual teacher they saw on a day to day basis. She had shoulder-length brown hair tied into a high ponytail and bright caramel eyes. She wore bloomers topped with a dark blue tracksuit with pink highlights and running shoes, showing a generous portion of her creamy thighs, but covering her top thoroughly. He expression was one of bliss, despite the effort she made to sound stern.

It was obvious the woman was enjoying the environment of innocent children to teach.

Once the class settled down and the bell rang to signify the official start of class, the class representative formally leads the class in greeting the teacher. The woman seemed quite pleased.

"All right, since you've all settled down, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Taiga Fujimura, I will be your homeroom teacher for the rest of the year. Any questions before we start class?" She chirped happily. This didn't last very long, though, as the first hand went up, it belonged to the only red-haired youth of the class. His apathetic expression lowered her mood somewhat due to its lack of cuteness, but she reminded herself that these were innocent children, easily molded and required gentle molding, a task she was only glad to go for with her grandfather's 'help'. "Yes! What did you want to ask?"

"What happened to our previous homeroom teacher, Tiger?" The boy asked in a bland, but innocent tone. Taiga was slightly peeved at the mispronunciation of her name but again reminded herself that these were only children. It was in their trait to make mistakes, something she as an adult needed to correct!

"Well then, uh…", as she was about to answer, she trailed off not having the boy's name. In fact, now that she thought about it, she didn't have the attendance sheet with her either…

Well, not like they would notice right? They were just adorably clueless children.

"Shirou Pendragon Emiya, Tiger-sensei" The boy answered, having picked up the silence as a cue to missing information.

"It's Taiga-sensei to you, Emiya-koi!" Taiga noticed the dark-haired glasses wearing boy beside him make a surprised face before relaxing, but she far more concentrated on the fact that the boy, Shirou, had just 'mispronounced' her name not once, but twice! Could it be just coincidence? Now that she corrected him, certainly that annoying nickname should never leave his little head ever again. "As for Ritsuko-sensei, she had obtained a job better suited for her, leaving this position empty, which I filled in!"

"Hai. Thank you… Tiger-sensei!" The boy politely thanked her, and it was properly done too. By all means, Shirou had been very polite as a child could be. There was, however, one very small problem with it.

He had called her Tiger once again… after being corrected! Despite Taiga's love for children, it only extended so far when the child in question didn't act adorable and intentionally called her by her hated pet name!

It took several minutes of silence before she could reign in the gloomy atmosphere within her and emit a cheery one more suited for the class. This would work, so long as no one else called her 'Tiger' anytime soon, it would all work out!

Now what was the schedule for the day, she was sure it had to do with a new student coming in once attendance was filled out. Maybe she could sneak back out into the teacher's lounge and get the sheets she needed? It would only take a moment, surely she could trust her class?

"Ah, I'll be right back class! Try and be good alright!?"

The young kindergarten teacher made her way out of the room and zipped as fast as she could to the teachers' lounge, leaving the class of impressionable children a firm image of her in their mind.

'She really is a Tiger!'

* * *

"Put your back into it Emiya. I don't know why those peons rate your massages so highly, but if you keep giving me those love taps, I'd think you were into more exhibitionist activities rather than making me relax." Arturia lay on her stomach, on a massage table, her smooth pale skin bare for only his eyes to feast on. His hand roughly pressed and kneaded every knot he could find. Yet despite this, he was in a con durum, facing the greatest obstacle in his short but successful masseurs career.

An unyielding knot.

Shortly after enjoying drooling at his wife's pale skin and well-toned body from behind, he had begun lightly tapping the areas one would typically find a knot of muscle. Much to his surprise, however, he found dozens of them, as if she had never one relaxed enough to loosen up. Though given her past career as the King of Knights, it was expected to be a stressful life. Routinely, he began a structural analysis of the knot, allowing him to see just which muscle group he would need to stimulate or loosen in order to untie the tensed and bunched muscle.

Once done, he reinforced his arms enough that they would bypass the natural physical endurance she carried over from her past life. Normal fingers would not even be able to cause a dent in her extremely durable body.

He pushed, but the knot did not even budge. Like it had actively resisted his efforts, but that was impossible! Knots of muscle could not possibly have sentience right?

Convinced that he was right, EMIYA began the process of pressing the knot as hard as he could, the pressure he was exerting enough to shatter hardened steel like thin glass. HE was confident that this time, something would definitely occur.

Nothing changed.

Confused, EMIYA concluded that he would have to start from the roots, rather than the knot itself. If the tension was too much, then he had to remove as much as he could. Scanning her body, the Servant did realize one thing. There wasn't a spot on her body that wasn't tense.

"Arturia, could you relax? I can't give you a massage while you're so tense" He waited a moment, wondering if the woman would accept his request. He'd known her for some time and realized that she hated responsibilities forced upon her. It was far better, and safer for him, to lure her into taking it up on her own. Luckily, he saw his wife relax and breathed a relieved sigh.

"You better make this worth it, Dearest, OR we will have _words._ " The growl that came from her high-strung vocal cords almost made it sound adorable, but the Servant knew better. He silently nodded, knowing she would have known what he was doing by some obscure method.

Finally, the Servant began his work. His strength started at human levels and began escalating as he found tougher areas. Now that she was relaxed, her body was as soft as putty, easily molded in his hands to smooth out the bumps and crinkles in her form.

Slowly, he heard a moan escape Arturia's lips as he successfully kneaded a knot out of existence. However, EMIYA simply continued working, he knew his continued existence relied upon him never, ever mentioning how vulnerable the form of Arturia was in at the moment.

"It seems… your reputation is…well deserved, dear." She gasped out between moans or utopian relaxation as her body turned to putty in the Servant's hands. Each time he kneaded a knot into oblivion, he learned just a bit more about it, allowing him to use his Mind's Eye to make shorter work of the next knot. There was certainly a lot, and he could not remember the last time his fingers became so sore.

However, the peaceful face that Arturia made as she gave into his skilled fingers made every inch of pain worth it. It was like a ghost of a time of when he was still human, still weak and fragile. She had given him an illuminating smile, on that reminded him of a time long past, of a lifetime when he treated her a 'normal girl'.

His mind slipped into the memories of a time with a certain tiny Onee-san of his…

* * *

"How was your day, Sakura?" A voice from behind asked. The purple haired girl turned around and saw Shirou and glasses boy standing beside a much taller male with glasses. It was after school, and classes were over. She didn't know the way home, so she figured he would show up at the gates soon.

He did, but apparently not alone.

"It was fine, but... who are you?" The man was a stranger to her despite the familiarity Shirou and glasses boy stood within his presence.

"Forgive me, I should have introduced myself. I was hired my Pendragon-san take care of her son until she came by to pick him up later in the afternoon. She noticed the relations ship between these two and I complied" He gestured to the two boys, and it took Sakura a moment to connect the dots.

"Are you here to pick me up as well?"

"Indeed, now why don't we head to the park?"

His shadow loomed over her, but she felt safe. If her friends trusted him enough, then why should she not as well?

She took her spot between the boys and in front of the man as they proceeded to walk away from the school gates.

* * *

She stared through the window of her cold, cold room. The whiteness outside a constant anchor within her turbulent life. The snow never disappeared, sometimes the snow fall would lessen, and visibility would increase to the point where she could see the tree line in the distance. Sometimes it got so bad, not even the statues in the immediate vicinity of her 'home' was spared being coated in white.

First, she had lost her mother, gramps had personally told her so, a fact consoled by the reason that she still had her father. For that reason, she remained as cheery as she could, after all, Mother had told her that Father never liked seeing a cry baby. Besides, gramps stayed silent whenever she asked about his whereabouts. He hadn't said he'd died after all.

Gramps said she could see them sooner if she agreed to do something for him, but later if she didn't. He looked part eager and expectant when he made that offer after seeing her tear up for the first time.

But it had been months since she'd last heard of either of them, even the nice pretty uncle with the black suit and blonde hair was not mentioned anywhere. He had been weird, but really nice to her and Mom. She missed the months when they would just play and play and play.

She was beginning to regret declining the offer and clinging in hopes of their safe return. Maybe it was her anger at having someone observe her emotional release, but she had firmly turned him down with a mild tantrum.

She hugged the stuffed animal closer to herself, a pink elephant, one of the dozens littering the room. The walls were insulated, and no heat escaped the house.

So why did she feel so cold?

Why did her chest feel like her toe when she stubbed it really hard?

Why did…

Why didn't her parents take her with them? She would have no qualms going anywhere with them.

It hurt.

It was cold.

And there was nothing she could do to stop it.

 **Edit: Fixed some grammar errors and aadded lines to sepaerate. Sorry for those that read the un fixed version!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

 **Original idea by konamikode from Sufficient Velocity**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own F S/Nm nor the idea for this story.**

 **A/N: From now on, response to reviews will be at eh bottom so as to not ruin your reading experience!**

Two years passed by quickly, the seasons turning cycles before the eyes of the married Heroic Spirits. They watched Shirou and Sakura grow up and closer to one another, one helplessly falling deeper and deeper into an endless crush, while the other subconsciously sister-zoned her. It was rather adorable, observing Issei aiding Sakura in her attempts to make Shirou view her as more than a little sister. The boy however simply gave those moments a minute's pause before continuing whatever he'd been interrupted from.

It was these moments the patriarch of the family treasured most, for it was in these brief moments that he felt a genuine warmth from Arturia. It was a ghost of a smile, lasting no longer than a moment, but it was enough of a difference to form her usual placid expression to stand out.

Here they were sitting on the park bench on a Saturday afternoon, this meant that it was after lunch, it also meant that he had no work today. These two variables together meant that they could spend some time together, and so it was decided that the whole family would go to the park and enjoy the day.

This particular park they were visiting was rather small, its intended population of children actively playing not exceeding five light bodies. Its center consisted of a single slide, a small sandbox, and a spring mounted ride. The ground was laid with dampeners to prevent any accidental falls from being fatal, and the perimeter had a pair of benches on opposite sides for the adults to keep watch. The time-displaced parents took one side, while the former assassin took another. It was surrounded by thin patches of vegetation, perfect for games of hide-and-seek.

It was also perfect for hiding local abusive bullies and the same place Shirou first met Sakura.

Despite the bad memories this place held, it was also a turning point, a milestone of change for that same girl.

Since that fateful day two years ago, she no longer had to endure her Grandfather's terrible brand on training. True she had been scarred in an irreparable way and soiled for months before salvation came. However, if she could say one thing good that ever happened, it was meeting her new family. They were much better than her irresponsible biological father and trophy wife of a mother ever could.

While drawing an image in the sand with a stick her thoughts wandered to the dear sister that refused to let her go the moment she heard of Sakura adoption.

How was her sister, Rin?

"Hey Sakura, what are you drawing there?" Her golden eyes sparkled under the sunlight, and his rust-red hair shined. His flat tone voiced a question. A question meant interest. An interest in what she did. An interest in her…

All thoughts of her former sibling were suddenly buried under the weight of the confusing feelings of her adoptive brother enveloping her.

* * *

"Are the preparations ready?" Her voice was cold, giving nothing but disdain away. But if one knew her enough, a sliver a concern could be nettled out from that seemingly empty tone.

"I've made preparations for a meeting. It wasn't easy mind you, but I've secured the estate the Einzbern will be staying for the duration of the next war, with plenty of my old man's fourth favorite 'clay' slathered on the major support columns and crucial physical boundary field connections field." The well-built husband responded as he reached into his loose business suit and took out something from the baby blue collared shirt underneath. It seemed like a case for a ring, and many passersby would have mistaken it for a proposal, the image of the man smiling hopefully helping the image. The pale-skinned, dark beauty took the box and opened it, she gazed within.

It was a simple red button with a safety cap on it.

A detonator.

"The moment this thing is pressed, everything will come crumbling down under several hundred tons of stone" The man ran his tanned, muscular finger's through his white hair and sighed. "Now that the trap has been set, we will need to lure in that cunning fox to pull the trigger"

While EMIYA was busy brainstorming various methods of luring the head of the Einzbern, or at least Illyasviel to Japan, Arturia simply stared at the device she had been given.

It was a detonator.

With an unreadable expression, gazed at the simple device, observing it as if it were the purest ingot of platinum in the world.

"… should be a last resort. If things go wrong in the talks, I'll be able to astralize while you press the trigger."

Despite not hearing the majority of her husband's plan, Arturia knew enough what her role was if thing went south. Her chin dipped slightly in acceptance for the role, and EMIYA gave a relieved sigh.

It started as an infiltration plan…

First, he replaced much ill-gotten wealth from the local crime lords in England with projected versions of them, it was easy enough empty a vault full of valuables and leave projected copies of them, unimpeded. Once he had enough funds to generously donate to the Clocktower with much more to spare, the Lords welcomed him with masked smiles and shifting hands. He spoke using a polite variation of Gilgamesh's words, immediately earning much respect despite having no background at all.

Things were going reasonably well. That was until a certain vampire Director of said institute decided to suddenly pop out during one of his attempts to form social connections and named his status as a First Generation Lord. Forever seared into the former Counter Guardian's mind were these words

"I hereby name you, Lord Emiya-Pendragon. A first Generation Lord, with all the benefits that come as one! Now… entertain me!"

The insane Wizard Marshall then left the entire room's occupant's with their jaws loose with that simple declaration, before disappearing entirely. Not a single Lord in that room even dared approach the newly titles Lord.

After that, EMIYA returned back to Japan, the plan having been both a huge success and a terrible failure at the same time. Success in that he now had a solid and an undisputable foothold within the organization. A failure in that now he was associated with the unpredictable director, who no one wanted to be involved with, directly or indirectly.

So now here they were, with all auxiliary plans under underway or long deployed and waiting for activation. Everything they needed to free Illyasviel von Einzbern from her cruel fate was set in place.

Everything but the girl herself.

"It makes no sense; I can't find an Einzbern representative anywhere in the Clocktower. Short of associating myself closer with the director and asking him, I'd have to go to their country of origin… Germany" Pressed deep in thought, EMIYA never saw how his wife seemed far more relaxed watching the children play that sating any of her carnal desires.

So the day continued like this, with the husband stressed, the wife relaxed, and the children having a blast.

* * *

"Shinji, come here" An old voice ground out. It had an ancient feel to it, rotten and slimy to anyone even close to magically sensitive, repelling them as effectively as bug spray on bugs. To a normal person, it would have simply been an old man calling for his grandson.

"Yes, Grandfather!" An eager, young boy no older than nine or ten years of age responded. He had curly blue hair trimmed so it remained curled up, a cute face with a pair of matching eyes. He wore shorts, a white undershirt, a purple vest and a red bowtie. It was an image of a child one would call innocent. It was the image of the heir of the Matou line.

"Tell me, how much do want to be the heir?" They were now side by side the old man walking and the young boy following him with an unspoken obedience. They entered deeper underground, into the basements the boy was never allowed t before. He was certainly excited, was he going to be the heir?

"I… I would do anything! I want to become your heir!" He was a child, but he knew what he wanted. He wanted the recognition of the only figure he looked up to, no matter what it took. Shinji was no fool, however; he _knew_ something had happened to Sakura before she went missing. The change in attitude and hair color was a difference.

But Shinji knew what he wanted, he was going to get it.

"Anything? Are you sure my boy? The price is steep, steeper for you than for Sakura obviously. Which was why I chose her, to spare you of that" The fake concern made the young boy puff swell in his own ego at the concern and attention he was given. Shinji wanted more, he wanted to be praised more!

"Yes!" So Caught up, the boy didn't notice it when they suddenly stopped and bumped into his grandfather. He fell on his butt and tried to get off the cold floor, nut something cold and squishy was holding it. There was a moment of silence.

"Grandfather?"

"Shinji. This is your last chance to remove yourself as my Heir. As I said before, the price is **steep** especially for boys. Should you back out, I will treat you no worse than before"

' _But no better either'_

The gullible child only heard what was not said. He did not want to be treated as a second rate! He was the rightful heir!

"NO! I'll do anything! More than what Sakura ever could! I'm better! The blood of the Matou's flows through me! I'm far more compatible for whatever you need than her non-Matou body could ever handle!" By the end of his rant, he had broken free of whatever had been holding his hand down. His fist clenched and was raised, "I'll go through two, not, three times whatever needs to be done!"

Another pregnant silence, this time, it was longer. Shattered a minute later by peals of laughter.

The sound was wonderful to Shinji's ears, but to anyone with a lick of magical potential… it was nothing short of slithering and disgusting. Like a closing trap.

"Well said, Shinji! I Hereby name you my Heir. The Heir of the Matou line!"

The boy's face bloomed into a smile, his heart blossoming from the recognition he was finally getting! He opened his mouth to respond-

-and choked as he felt something fly into his mouth.

Was it a bug? Gross, he'd have to spit it out. Again Shinji opened his mouth. This time, the stuck 'bug' did not come flying out, rather a huge force smashed his face and crawled down his throat.

It was disgusting, violating, confusing. What was happening? Why wasn't grandfather helping him? Didn't he see his precious heir getting assaulted?

Suddenly he noticed movement on the ground, or rather the moving round. Was this place covered in those disgusting things?

Shinji let out a scream in utter horror at the realization of what he was on.

Worms.

Then his existence was blanketed as the creatures piled over him like a wave.

How sad was that?

* * *

Jubstacheit von Einzbern, for the first time since Kiritsugu Emiya's confirmed passing, felt anxiety. He would certainly be relieved upon hearing the hired mercenary's confirmed death, the body having been collected and now preserved in the Estate's deepest workshop. The mercenary may have been a heretic, but he was a Magus Killer for a reason, he was very good at what he did. His death brought nothing but relief to all Magi, should they ever discover such a thing.

Naturally, the Einzbern would hold on to such a card, for the next Grail War of course.

Now, the reason for such anxiety came about several days ago, where he heard news of a First Generation Lord come into existence. Such a thing has never happened before! No Lord of a Certain line could come into existence until their line had either reached several generations or had distinct prominence, both of which required vast amounts of time, regardless of talent. It would take at least four generations of a line at the very least to attain a level of prestige necessary to become a Lord!

At first, he had been absolutely livid and was determine to let the incompetent fool who allowed this a small show of Einzbern Force.

His informant informed him of the party responsible. The Wizard Marshall himself.

The acting head immediately had anger replaced with dread.

Once again his informant told him of something, the name of the new lord's title. Lord Emiya-Pendragon.

Dread gave way to anxiety and insecurity. He immediately withdrew all Einzbern representatives back to Germany to think things through. It was certainly a grave insult to the Clocktower, for such an unprecedented action to occur without explanation, the family name would certainly have taken a hit. They would be tarnished but they would survive, this matter was far more important.

Lord Emiya-Pendragon… was he related to Kiritsugu Emiya in any way? A family member seeking revenge? Was he as skilled as the late mercenary? What was up with the Pendragon part anyways?

Dozens of questions flooded his mind.

Jubstacheit von Einzbern sat there, his paperwork for the day completely untouched as his mind went through the turbulence of such news.

He was so preoccupied, he never noticed the small figure no higher than his own table slip in, grab the most recent report and crawled out.

* * *

Illyasviel von Einzbern clutched the report to her chest, uncaring of the stitches from the operation that day coming loose from the adrenaline pumping her blood to elevated levels. They had cut into her again, hurting her and healing her, it was driving her insane. But she held on because she knew her parents would never abandon her. She remembered all those days they played in the snow, all the smiles they shared, the warmth as she was held in their arms. None of those could be fake… right?

Her heart was beating fast as she snuck around to avoid detection to her own room, eager to read just what had her terrible Gramps so riled up. If she had to suffer, then she had a right to know just who or what was causing it!

Finally reaching her room and jumping into the mountain of plush toys that slowly turned red from her opening wounds, she opened the files and began reading the complex, but easily understandable words due to the heavy education imposed upon her the moment Gramps took over. She no longer had any time to play, simply study, get cut up and heal. If there was one thing that she got from that terrible time, it was this moment!

Her hands traced the words, silently mouthing the words at the beginning of the first page.

'Regarding First Generation Lord Emiya-Pendragon'

Her hands shook in anticipation. Was this her father? She knew some people referred to him as Emiya when they though she wasn't listening. But what was this about a Pendragon? Wasn't that an Arthurian legend?

Disregarding the thought, the little girl delved deeper into the report, the fire of hope once dimmed burning even brighter than before.

Her wide eyes narrowed at one particular sentence as she scanned the report.

'- astructure-possible relative of Kiritsugu Emiya. With age as a factor, an unconfirmed possibility of a young sibling or an elder progeny-'

The fire of hope burned into jealousy and rage. Possible son? Was father not… faithful to mother? Wasn't she their precious one?

'-bearing little to no facial resemblancstructure-'

The Flames dimmed into soft embers. Perhaps he was an uncle? That's would be nice, having an extended member of the family around to lay with. Mama always enjoyed more company in any case.

'-instigating whereabouts of the Einzbern representatives for months-'

Was he looking for her? Was there a family out there actually looking for her? So Gramps WAS lying! She knew it! Even if Papa couldn't or would not look for her, there was still someone out there who was looking for her! Papa was the smartest person she knew; he could do anything!

…even rescue her from this prison of frozen pain?

Her arms went limp, the report falling from her numb and shaking hands. The pain was coming back now, the adrenaline from sneaking out, was wearing off. The incisions they made across her body were beginning to open up from all the higher pressure blood circulated by the adrenaline earlier.

They said it she should just accept the cuts; they would allow her to find her father one day. But she knew it was all a lie. She didn't need to find Papa… he was going to find her. If the Einzbern were going to give her power, let them.

It was her who had the final say on how that power was used after all.

* * *

Once again, Rin Toshaka was elbow deep in books. These were not normal books, for she was not a normal child. She was a magus, and she read magus books, which were far more complicated than any normal books.

…and also much more vicious as well. She swore she would get that stupid book back one day! Maybe use it as a paperweight or dust rag once she was done with it…

As the mini magus was busy coming up with nefarious plots once she was strong enough to perform them, she forgets she did indeed still have school the next day. As class representative, she had the duty of introducing the new student and look good while doing so.

Too bad she would forget and thus make an embarrassment of herself the next day.

* * *

As Arturia rose from her exorbitantly expensive bath, an epiphany struck her.

A wide, Cheshire grin spread from her normally composed features as the swirled the idea around her head. Her beauty and danger magnified as she did.

Despite having not been a Heroic Spirit, she had been given access to all the information regarding every hero that did make it there. While she had bathed and ran hands down her own curves, she recalled another woman that could aid her in making her perfect son.

"Perhaps **she** can help"

Arturia dried herself up and dressed for bed, she had a long day ahead of her tomorrow.

"Sight-seeing in the Shadowed World… I wonder how that would be like?"

* * *

 **A/N: I am not bashing Rin, just a scene for her, FYI. Anyways Sorry for the long delay and short Chapter,but now things are getting into gear! The Fate theme we all know and love is revving up! Please let me know how I can improve, I dont mind flames, they will be used to roast unsatisfactory work to a golden brown perfection!**

 **Now answering some questions.**

 **Talesfanjmf: I would sue that maybe as for Arturia to tease EMIYA enough o faint.**

 **shadowslayer2015: She will be saved, just not in the way u imagine it to.**

 **Amouren: It starts!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

 **Original idea by konamikode from Sufficient Velocity**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own F S/NN nor the idea for this story.**

 **A/N: From now on, response to reviews will be at the bottom so as to not ruin your reading experience!**

"Dear, what is that **thing** doing here and what are you doing with it?"

An annoyed tone punctuated from beside her and Arturia turned to respond. She was dressed in tight biking leathers that had no problems showing the world her amazing body outline and handing over one shoulder was a thick leather jacket with metal cuffs. This gave the overall impression of a bike gang leader despite her small stature.

Obviously, EMIYA would not let such a small detail bother him as he stood expectantly behind the gates of his home and in front of his wife.

"I'm going for a road trip" A statement, a fact, and absolute bygone. This was a decision she had set upon and nothing was really going to stop her.

"A road trip, at this time of year?" He asked incredulously, before shaking his head in exasperation. He knew better to question his whimsical wife. He did, however, question the method with which she chose to do so in. "Never mind that. Tell me you aren't going to ride that …thing!"

A lone tanned finger pointed to the accused.

It was a motorcycle, with a purple paint job.

It's name was the Hayabusa 1999.

It was also the godfather of all motorbikes, and to compare it to any other land vehicle would be like comparing a furiously charging Pegasus to a regular horse. In an Era where phantasmal creatures rarely show up, it could be called the phantasmal version of the motorbike.

"Obviously. I'll be off then, make sure to prepare for another permanent resident when I get back" Without another word, Arturia started the monstrous engines of the Hayabusa and left the Emiya compound gates. Leaving a rather miffed husband behind the trail of vaporized premium gas.

"I wonder what's going on in that woman's shrewd mind…" Shrugging off the unexpected vacancy, EMIYA simply returned to the house hold to prepare the home for another permanent resident. The home was large and could comfortably fit several families without trouble.

* * *

The Land of Shadows, a land that despite the name, was not in perpetual shadow. It was in fact a very clear world permeated by nature and untouched by mankind's pollution. The land was in a perpetual state of autumn though, the tree leaves were browned and barely hanging, but they stubbornly refused to fall and clutter the ground, The flower buds had long since emptied and closed up, getting ready for a spring that would never come, the pollen that would never germinate. No animals or insects pervaded the area, just plants in their twilight state, perpetually on the edge.

The plants did not crowd one another for sunlight, for none had enough healthy leaves to do so, their seeds uselessly fallen on dead soil bereft of nutrients to aid in any form of growth. Instead, a timeless magic kept the land in this state, never dying, but never truly living either. It was peaceful, it was tranquil, it was the perfect place for the restless souls to be laid to rest.

In one of the many clearings of the twilight forest, a horde of ghosts could be found. These were not normal incorporeal existences that only very rarely manifested in the world of the living in mirror or poltergeist phenomena. Here, in this world, they were as real as the tress and ground.

Even so, it was rare for them to gather like this. Sure, over one-hundred-fifty-thousand people die a day in the human world, but not all of them are restless spirits. Many humans that die find peace at heart, whether surrounded by family, faithful in religion or a quick accident. Very few actually suffer long, torturous ends that fill them with enough negativity to weigh them down from traversing back to the Root and be recycled. It was this negativity that gave their tortured existences a corporeal form, it also empowered them far beyond what any normal human would be able to.

To visualize this, imagine the fastest person you know and the strongest person you know, now compare them into one creature that had a shadowy body three times stronger and faster than any human alive, attacked with a lacked self-preservation on any living creature and the ability to reconstruct its body endlessly no matter how the body gets destroyed. Now that there is the native and only inhabitant of the land of Shadows, a Ghost.

There were approximately twenty score of them congregated in an area, a number high enough to level New York in under a week if let loose in eh real world.

It was fortunate enough that their Queen was very strict in putting them in their place.

The Ghosts swung their arms like clubs, a simple touch able to drain the life of any mortal before their physical frames get crushed into a paste. There was no finesse, there wouldn't be for creatures whose touch was death and immortal to time. Dozens o the creatures kept flailing their arms near the center of the clearing they occupied, almost like a haphazard ritual for purification.

Rituals were a sequence of actions that had deep meanings inscribed into each and every action, sometimes there would be a person which the ritual focused on, and others where it did not. In a world where such powerful creatures existed, each action no matter how random was a ritual in itself. In the case of the Land of Shadows, the ritualists were the Ghosts, and their target was the person in the middle of their congregation, thrusting, sweeping and twirling in an elegant dance with a pair of blood red spears.

The blows that would shatter reinforced steel were deflected with a simple tap from one of the ends of the two spears, redirecting it to the ground or another ghost, which passed through them. The speeds wich the arms were such, the human body could not possibly react in time, yet they were nimbly dodged. They swarmed her, but the long poles of destruction kept them at bay, weapons that could not immediately destroy them, but would with enough direct blows. It was fear of non-existence that drove them to form immediately overwhelming the woman with their numbers, but it was hope of release that drew them to her like flames to a moth.

One over extended a swing as her back was turned, she reminded it why such a thing wouldn't work on her with a reverse thrust from her left hand into its head, obliterating it.

Two more made to grab her arms and lock her in place, but they too clumsy, she punished such recklessness by twisting her right spear such that it would pierce one enemy and stun the other on contact. The stunned one was quickly finished off with a deep slash across its spine.

This woman who bore the twin red spears and fought enemies beyond human ability, this was their Queen.

This was Scáthach, Immoral Warrior Queen of the Land of Shadow.

As usual, she was outnumbered against her unwilling subjects, whose negative existence drove them to hostility against their unwilling ruler. She could not rest, in a battle where a single lapse of judgement meant getting dragged down and torn apart for either eternity or until an escape was found, she simply had to endure until the horde was wiped out.

Suddenly, her instincts screamed at her to jump, it was a primal feeling that she hadn't felt for an extremely long time, not since she'd lost her mortality. A higher elevation did little good since the Ghosts would simply climb with their enhance abilities and drag her down while she fought awkwardly form an angle. Now, though, she chose the tree with the thickest branch and leaped for it.

A horrible screech of metal resounded as she made herself comfortable above. Looking below, she observed what appeared to be a slender woman in dark leather clothing crashing into the Ghosts with her strange beast of burden… and wiping them out. The metal beast screamed as it spun around to tear into the group again, the Ghosts for once ignoring her and charging at what seemed to be far easier prey to get ahold of.

A mistake.

The metal beast and its rider plowed right through the horde of supernatural creatures, a shadowy later of magic forming over it as the two forces approached. The beast grew dark spikes on its sides, jagged armor forming over the uncovered parts like a weaponized turtle. The rider took one hand off the 'reigns' and pulled out a… sword.

The two forces met, the metal beast tearing into the Ghosts like paper and the dark blade of the wielder efficiently cutting down those that attempted to converge on the pair. It quickly pivoted on its front and twisted its entire frame around several full rotations, clearing the immediate area around it with brutal efficiency.

The Queen's interest was piqued.

Never before had anyone managed to defeat so many ghosts at once. Sure, she'd faced down many phantasmal creatures and divine spirits, but it took months of struggle to bring any one of those titans down with the limit imposed on her due to her mortal body. Her spear thrust was unmatched to the point it could even bring down those outside mortal boundaries, but never able to fully express it with her body so frail an mortal.

Now as an immortal and unable to die, she'd been able to refine herself and surpassed the limits her mortal body could not endure, but it was both a curse and a blessing. The immortals, furious that their prized shield was defiled by mortal hands took her death form her. Unable to die, yet trapped in this Land of Shadow as its sole ruler and guide, a terrible fate that death could no longer save her from.

Now here was a person, whose strength exceeded her own. Her potential eclipsed anything she had ever laid eyes upon, but unlike most, it was reached. This rider, this woman could not get any stronger. However, the passive aura enveloping her told the Queen that she was not taking them seriously at all.

Such a wonderfully scary person.

"…" She said nothing, more intent on analyzing the potential of the woman in front of her.

It was… staggering to say the least.

From birth, the Queen knew she was different from those around her, more important than them on a fundamental level. Instinctively, they put her on a pedestal, either from her high status of birth or her great innate power. Either way, she was never told, and she never needed to be. Her talent told her everything she needed to know about a person, their potential, their importance in the grand scheme of things.

Now standing before her was a person that could easily match or even exceed her in potential alone. Her aura was similar to that of a ruler, one who had sat upon a throne, shouldered the burden of authority and stood tall to the end with all their talents. It was a presence greater than her now late student, one… equivalent to hers.

"I did not realize that those of equal status were required to pay more respect to one than the other" She gracefully slid down the tree branch, not even making a sound as she landed. The ruler gazed upon the darkened woman in front of her, her head covering obscuring any facial features underneath. Not bothering to even bend her knees on impact as she landed, having long since mastered the technique of leaping… and hence, landing

"I offer no apologies. My intrusion into your lands might not be an invasion, but rather an… opportunity". Finally, the dark woman unclasped the dark covering of her head, revealing breathtaking features. While she had confidence in her own beauty that would easily catch even the unaroused eyes of men in lust, hers was of a different kind, one that demanded they give their all to protect from danger. She felt no danger form the other woman, eons of being sundered form any other living creature caused normal views to warp and distort.

That same situation brought her to one simple question…

How did she get here? A land sundered from the normal flow of time?

"While I do have questions, the eons have done little but bore me with these endless monotonous battles." Her voice was cool, like a spring fresh from winter, her steps as gracefully as leaves falling to the ground as she approached the other woman, hips swaying slightly from side to side. A short pause later, she reached what could be described as personal space… and invaded it. "Please, explain"

While both women gave out an impression of majesty and had little reason to back down from the other, the smaller of the two let out a slight breath as she closed her eyes. A small retreat for a larger gain in the future.

"With my power, entering a place such as this is of little trouble. Should you accept this… opportunity, I can easily take us both back to the outside world, where time flows naturally and the gods have ceased to exist" Her bun-pinned, pale blond hair, golden eyes, and delicate features looked frigid, as frozen in space, but warmed slightly at the last part. The smaller of the two looked away to the infinite horizon as she said this as if enraptured by an idea.

An impossible idea.

"The land of Shadows is a place outside of time, with my power I have no hope to escape this eternal trap… but you… you've managed to breach what even my Leap could not cross." Her tone was somewhere between admiration and scorn, yet it remained calm, analyzing. "With such power, you could easily place it dangling as an ultimatum over my head, yet you would take me out of here regardless?"

While indeed it was possible for the woman to travel between the spaces, such a thing required vast amounts of energy, which usually left the fabrics of reality heavily weakened for some time. Enough time for her to easily follow through even without the offered help. Their discussion though already given the area enough time to stabilize so breaking out now as currently impossible, but even if the smaller woman decided to leave the Queen could easily follow her.

And yet… she had been given a choice with full knowledge that she could very easily leave very soon with no strings attached. It was such a bold move, such a vast opportunity, such a heartfelt gesture-

"Whatever you require, I would be happy to oblige" A small, unrulier like giggle escaped her. The elder woman knew the how to lay down a self-esteem trap, making those with large egos unable to refuse simple requests if it meant owing another some favors, a perfect net. One she had fallen perfectly into with little escape.

A deviously dangerous woman indeed.

"Well then, why don't we talk about our terms as we ride?" The smaller woman gave a slight victorious smile before freezing over. She placed her helmet back on and mounted the strange beast before indicating the other ruler's position with her hand." For just this time, please wrap your arms around me. I certainly would not want to lose you in the void between here and there."

A moment later, the pair accelerated beyond the speed of light before the queen of the land of shadows could comment further. Eventually reaching a point where the fabric of reality was weakest.

Then she crushed it.

The Holy Grail as designed to bore a hole through reality to reach a metaphysical plane such the Throne of Heroes, and the Root with enough energy. What was crossing a much smaller metaphysical distance using the grail functions compared that?

* * *

"Father, where is Mother?" A small boy with rust fair and golden asked, as he sat himself down on the edges of the dinner table, beside him was an equally tiny girl with purple hair and equally purple eyes. Both of them were unconsciously drooling at the steaming dish in front of them, their hunger for food wrestling with their fear of displeasing mother by not waiting for her first. It was a titanic mental struggle worthy of tales that intensifies as their father placed down an extremely large portion of X.O. fried rice on the table.

"I'm not entirely sure, but-" His whitened eye brows shot up, hidden by his no-longer spiked up hair for a moment before relaxing. His occasional Structural Grasp had picked up one familiar figure and another unfamiliar one. He summarized it was the guest she spoke of earlier. "No matter, she is here and with a guest as well."

The two children immediately got up and respectfully stood on the dining room walls to await the arrival of the guest and their mother. It was only proper after all to pay respects to those that were superior to you. Luckily for them, their wait was short lived, for the incoming pair had arrived.

"Welcome home, Mother. Honored Guest, we welcome you to our home." The pair said at once in greeting as the sliding doors parted.

One was their mother, dressed in her usual garb, while the other was a much more buxom woman she wore something that resembled a cross between a purple leotard and a battle dress, her deep purple hair seemed to catch the light in strange ways and her blood red eyes bored deeply into the younger boy's intensely despite the glance she gave him.

Once their parents had seated themselves and laid out the dishes properly, the children were invited to join.

The dinner at the Emiya-household was eaten in aromatic silence.

 **A/N: Sorry everyone, No Einzbern PoV, their head is currently losing his shit trying to piece things together so expect some crazy stunts from them as Jubstacheit von Einzbern tries everything he can to get the Grail. Just a little hint on what they are going to do, it is related to how Zouken stays alive for so long. Do take care to not place spoilers in the reviews, though.**


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